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Pavlovian reactions aren't just for dogs - Benjamin N. Witts

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TEDEd Animation

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Dr. Ivan Pavlov’s groundbreaking work revealed that a dog will respond to neutral stimuli, such as a bell, in the same way that it will respond to, say, mouth-watering food. This research is widely applicable beyond a dog’s salivation. Benjamin N. Witts sketches a few situations in which people are conditioned to react in a Pavlovian way, from dating to parenting.

The video explained how bell rings produced saliva in dogs and how nauseating feelings might lead to the avoidance of the food that preceded those feelings. In all the examples, there was a temporal order to the events. What is the ordering of events, and why do you think it’s important? (Hint: You cannot reverse the temporal order of events and get the same result!)

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Director Adam Taylor
  • Educator Benjamin N. Witts
  • Narrator Benjamin N. Witts

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