The Pavlovian Conditioning Experiment

The Pavlovian Conditioning Experiment demonstrated how a neutral stimulus can become associated with a natural response through repeated pairing. Ivan Pavlov showed that if a bell (neutral stimulus) is sound just before giving dogs food (which naturally makes them salivate), the dogs eventually salivate when they hear the bell alone. Over time, the bell alone triggers the salivation response, illustrating how learning occurs through association. This experiment helps explain how behaviors can develop through conditioning, showing that responses can be learned rather than instinctual.