Pavlov took a dog and gave him food (unconditioned stimulus = UCS) paired with the sound of a bell. After a while, the sound of the bell (conditioned stimulus = CS) gave the same response as the UCS, namely: drooling. Pavlov considered his dog conditioned very well. He and others showed again and again this \u2018classical conditioning reflex\u2019 to be real and powerful.<\/p>\n
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However, at the same time the poor (or quite content and well-fed) dog was thinking<\/em>. Yes. He was thinking<\/em>. Very important. He was expecting<\/em> the food when the bell tolled. Without this expectation, the bell did nothing. The bell and the food meant<\/em> something to the dog. The bell had meaning.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n More so: unconditioned and conditioned stimuli in Pavlov\u2019s paradigm are<\/em> themselves in fact \u2018meanings\u2019. Put yourself in place of the dog:<\/p>\n In the end, nor food, nor bell make saliva flow. \u2018Yummy yummy\u2019 does. This is therefore the real stimulus. Namely: \u2018food-yummy yummy\u2019 is the real UCS, while \u2018bell-yummy yummy\u2019 is the real CS.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n Thanks. You may take your place as observer again.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n If the dog becomes deaf or brain-damaged in a specific way, the bell doesn\u2019t mean anything anymore and there\u2019s no flow of saliva. Of course, this is just a playing with words, but it makes the consequence clear, namely: there is no classical conditioning without meaning.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n If classical conditioning is looked upon, rather narrowly, as showing that the importance of \u2018meaning\u2019 can be put aside and that mental responses (of dogs or humans) can be seen as instances of \u2018just being conditioned\u2019, then that is clearly, utterly, plainly wrong.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n Meaning is there. Meaning is important. Meaning is a profound way to change many things, to grow as a person. Talking about \u2018mere reflexes\u2019 is a way to deny this huge human potential.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n I keep having the impression that this denial is born out of fear.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not even justified fear.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n \n\n