Pavlov vs Watson

Both Pavlov and Watson I would say, were aiming towards the same type of theory and experiment. Although they both conducted rather different experiments, they both showed the same type of message that was trying to be brought forth. Both these experiments focused on human and animal behavior and how it can change with what we know as earning what you deserve(reward) or deserving something you should've have learned(consequence).

In Pavlov's experiment, he used an animal, a dog, as his testee. Pavlov tried to see the dog's change in behavior by a ring of the bell which we learned is known as a stimulus which is something that activates the person to do something. In this case, the bell acted as the stimulus. Everytime the bell was rang the dog rushed over and was rewarded food to responding the calling of the bell. After many trials of this, the bell was rang yet again but this time no food was given. Trials happened again and again and the dog soon to learn that once the bell would ring no treats would be given, so in turn, the dog would ignore the calling of the bell.

Although, in Watson's experiment, he used a human, a baby named Baby Albert. Baby albert was to put his hand in a box with animals to see if he would b frightened by them. Come to show she showed no sign of fear. After many trials, they put a mouse in there and when he put his hand in there a big boom went off which then scared him. They did this about two more times. Now when they just showed Baby Albert the animals that were furry like the mouse, he automatically stirred up fear from the boom. Although he showed no fear with the other animals, just from the boom stimulated his fear and had him fear every animal.


Both Pavlov and Watson showed experiments in which behavior changed with a matter of a simple stimulus. Although the testee was different, they both came to the same conclusion. This theory of a stimulus affecting your behavior plays also in the enviornment and how they live. With these experiments/theories it should show us how to react and learn from many trials of doing things many wrong or right.