Respondent Behavior (from B.F. Skinner)

Running head : Respondent Behavior

Respondent Behavior

[The name of the writer appears here]

[The name of institution appears here]

The name respondent has been given to stimulus-elicited behavior so as to contrast it with behavior for which no stimuli can be identified Whatever the strengths or limitations of the Pavlovian principle , one point stands out without a doubt : this type of conditioning always depends upon the elicitation of response . Respondent behavior involves purported reflex behavior , which consists of nonvoluntary responses mainly of the glands and smooth muscles (B . F . Skinner

, 1938 Instances of such nonvoluntary responses are eye blinks and tics salivation , hunger contractions , as well as emotional reactions

Consequently Pavlov 's dogs were taught to salivate at the sight of food when a bell sounded , after the bell and food had been paired over a number of trials . In one of the famous Pavlovian experiments , a bell was rung slightly before the food stimulus was presented . After this combination of bell and food had been repeated a number of times , the dog started to salivate whenever the bell was rung , though on that particular trial no food was given

As all the reflexes mentioned involve the action of identifiable eliciting stimuli , we can use respondent as the equivalent of Pavlovian conditioning , also we can speak of a respondent when referring to a specific instance of such conditioned or unconditioned behavior

It was reported from Pavlov 's laboratory , early in the twenties of this century that a conditioned reflex , once set up , might serve as the unconditioned-reflex basis of another plus a distinction was made between primary and secondary , or higher- , conditioning . Frolov one of Pavlov 's coworkers , conditioned salivation to both the sound of a buzzer as well as the beat of a metronome . When these two first- conditionings were well recognized , he used them in building a second- reflex -- salivation in response to a visual stimulus , a black square . Great care had to be exercised in presenting the stimuli an interval of 15 seconds had to elapse between the black square also the sound of the 'reinforcing ' metronome beat or no conditioning was possible . In addition , the secondary reflex never became very strong the latency was great and the response magnitude was small . However some effect was discernible , despite the fact that the black square was never paired directly with the original food stimulus

In one more experiment , Foursikov used the foot-withdrawal response to electric shock as his basic reflex and was capable to get results that pointed to the possibility of third- conditioning . The withdrawal response was first conditioned to a tactual stimulus , then to the sound of bubbling water , and , lastly , to a tone of 760 cycles per second , with each new reflex based wholly upon the preceding one . This is schematized in the 3 paradigms . Again , though , the effect required highly controlled experimental conditions , was to a certain extent unstable , and grew less as the went higher . As well , prolonged attempts by Foursikov...