concept
Pavlov's Dogs
An automatic, conditioned response to a cue โ usually one you didn't choose.
Origin
Around 1900, the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov noticed that dogs in his lab began salivating at the sound of the technician arriving with food. By pairing a bell with feeding, he conditioned them to salivate at the bell alone. The experiment became the textbook example of classical conditioning.
Modern usage
Said of anyone reacting reflexively to a notification, an ad, a slot-machine ding, or a political dog-whistle. 'Pavlovian response' is the more formal form.
In the wild
Smartphones have us Pavlovian about every buzz.โ tech criticism
Tags
psychology
conditioning
reflex