Psychology MCAT Practice Exam

Who conducted the first experiment with dogs and a bell in classical conditioning?

1. John Watson

2. B.F. Skinner

3. Ivan Pavlov

4. William James

The correct answer is: Ivan Pavlov

The correct answer is Ivan Pavlov. He is renowned for his pioneering work in classical conditioning, which he famously demonstrated through experiments with dogs. In these experiments, Pavlov conditioned dogs to associate the sound of a bell with food. Initially, the dogs naturally salivated when they tasted food; however, through repeated pairings of the bell sound with the presentation of food, the dogs learned to salivate in response to the bell alone, even when no food was presented. This process exemplifies classical conditioning, where a neutral stimulus (the bell) becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus (the food), leading to a conditioned response (salivation). Pavlov's work laid the foundation for understanding behaviorism and the processes of learning through associations, making it a critical study in psychology. His findings emphasize the role of environmental stimuli in shaping behavior, highlighting the importance of conditioning in learning theory.