The basic scenario is that an older child has some kind of cancer and a MD will be doing daily injections to reduce the growth of a tumor. 

Here is the basic sequence.  The child is brought into the exam room by a nurse.  It is always the same exam room. The nurse will record some basic information (weight, blood pressure, pulse rate) and then leave the room.  It is always the same nurse.  Fifteen minutes later, the MD enters the room.  The MD fills the syringe and performs the injection within two minutes. As the MD bends over while performing the injection he makes a little grunt sound. At the end of the injection the MD smiles at the boy and says "very good."

We will assume that the injection is the UCS.  The UCR is an increase in heart rate.

Now analyze the situation as classical conditioning.

1. Why would we describe this as a classical conditioning situation?

2. What change are we looking for to say that classical conditioning has occurred?

3. Analyze the room as a CS.  What is the acquisition procedure?

4. Analyze the nurse as a CS. What is the acquisition procedure?

5. Analyze the MD as a CS. What is the acquisition procedure?

6. Analyze the grunt sound as a CS. What is the acquisition procedure?

7. Analyze the utterance "very good" as a CS. What is the acquisition procedure?

8. Finally, assume that the MD shows up late (30 minutes--it has been a busy day).  What would we be looking for at the usual 15 minute mark?  How would we label those changes?

9.  Which is a stronger CS, the needle or the room?  Why?  How would you test that idea?

10.  Assume that we want to extinguish fear connected to the needle.   What would be your procedure?

11.  According to Pavlov, are you eliminating the conditioned reflex?  What are you doing in your procedure?

12.  How would you test Pavlov's explanation in the #11 question?

13.  Assume the MD goes on vacation and a substitute MD administers the injection on 5 occasions.  The original MD returns.  What is Pavlov's prediction about the effect of seeing the original MD?

14.  Assume the MD goes on vacation and a substitute MD administers the injection on 5 occasions.  The boy still receives recording of basic information in the original room but receives the injection in a different room.  The original MD returns.  What is Pavlov's prediction about the effect of seeing the original MD in the original room?