On Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:08:59 -0700, Stephen Black wrote: >On 27 Sep 2013 at 10:31, Christopher Green wrote: >> Pavlov clearly used a bell sometimes. He used it repeatedly. So the >> answer to the question of whether Pavlov used a bell is clearly "yes." >> It is the denial that he ever used a bell that is the myth > >I'll concede that there are two instances where Pavlov referred to >the use of a belll (not a buzzer) in salivary conditioning: 1) in the >report published in _Science_ in 1906 where he noted the >ineffectiveness of the "violent ringing of a bell"; and (2) in the >description of a bell as a compound stimulus retrieved by Chris from >_Conditioned Reflexes_.
Far be it for me to come between two Canadians engaged in a pissing contest but allow me to make a couple of points: (1) The film that Prof. Black refers to (i.e., the NY Times review) is available on the web and can be downloadable here: http://vimeo.com/20583313 It is a silent film with cards with Russian and English explanations. (2) At about the 12 minute mark there is a transition to the classical conditioning experiments beginning with the ringing of a hand bell to produce a startle response in a dog. The bell is not used in any of the experimental displays that are presented but a key point made in the series of experimental studies presented is that anything can be used as a conditioned stimulus. The use of the metronome is presented but not only to show that it can be used as a conditioned stimulus but that an animal can discriminate the clicking made at different frequencies, only one of which is predictive of the unconditioned stimulus. This is an interesting demonstration of discrimination learning. Other species including humans are used. I personally like the use of the orangutan. Members of Peta will lose their minds watching this video. With regard to whether or not Pavlov used a bell as an unconditioned stimulus in any experiments may I suggest that that interested parties read the reports of the studies in the original Russian or have someone familiar with Russian scientific writing read it. English speaking folks talking about what they think are in Russian scientific journals is like listening to virgins talk about the joys of vaginal sex. YMMV. --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=28166 or send a blank email to leave-28166-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
