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Though it may seem ridiculous, I’ve had a theory for a long time that the best modern example of Ivan Pavlov’s work is a line from DJ Casper’s dance hit “Cha-Cha Slide.” The whole song is just a series of instructions, but one line in particular sticks out (those who haven’t attended an event with a DJ in the last six years can watch the video here). At about the 2:10 mark, DJ Casper calls out “Everybody clap your hands,” which is followed by a steady rhythm of clapping from the crowd. Every time I’ve heard that line, be it at a dance, wedding or sporting event, it’s followed by the same rhythm of applause. At the last baseball game I attended, they played that single line and all audible conversations stopped so people could concentrate on their clapping. I had always presented my theory about the hand clapping as our generation’s classical conditioning (a la Pavlov’s dogs) half-jokingly until last weekend. I was absent-mindedly driving when the “Cha-Cha Slide” came on the radio. Without thinking at all, I took my hands off the wheel (while I was still driving, mind you) to clap my hands. That just confirmed my belief that DJ Casper is Pavlov reincarnated.
Even though evidence of conditioning is all around us, I found it a little (a lot?) depressing to think that my best example of Pavlov’s legacy is a Bar Mitzvah staple dance track, so I’ve been looking into other good examples.
E-mail pings, The Office, and a chance to win a free t-shirt all after the break! One that we’re all familiar with is the email ping. In the early days of AOL, the dulcet tones of “You’ve got mail” were enough to cease any activity to check the mailbox with the expectation of some exciting correspondence. In fact, on this 12-step program for email addicts, step 6 is to disarm the chime. Shoppers at Kmart since 1965 have been conditioned by the store’s on-again, off-again blue light specials. These brief sales were signaled by a flashing blue light, which would attract shoppers in search of discounted prices. Plenty of people are conditioned in college to switch songs for school spirit; growing up in Ohio, I can’t help but think of shouting O-H-I-O during “Hang on Sloopy,” and I don’t even like Ohio State. I also can’t think of anyone who hears “knock knock” and doesn’t respond with “who’s there?” Finally, it may not be an everyday example, but I’d still be remiss if I didn’t pass on this hilarious clip from The Office about Pavlov in action.
One example I wasn’t convinced by was this essay by Reverend David a Noebel from the 60’s (scroll down). He contends that rock ‘n’ roll, or as he calls it, Beatle-music, is full of stimuli designed to illicit delinquency in America’s innocent teenagers.
“We contend that rock ‘n’ roll, certainly a strong external stimulus, is producing this artificial type of neurosis in our teenagers, and causing teenage mental breakdowns to reach an all time high…. Rock ‘n’ roll, with its perverted music form, dulls the capacity for attention and creates a kind of hypnotic monotony which blurs and makes unreal the external world.”
Readers, I’m turning it over to you. I want to hear your non-dance track suggestions for the best examples of Pavlov’s work in everyday life. In fact, I’m going to give out a Pavlov T-shirt from the mental_floss store to the best one, so write your answers in the comments section already!
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In my house, it’s the magic beep of the coffee maker signaling it’s done that makes 3 people run for the kitchen. The accompanying salivation is as close to Pavlov’s effects as you can get!
posted by Kim F. on 8-27-2007 at 9:13 am
Queen’s “We Will Rock You!”
Boom boom CLAP
posted by Doc on 8-27-2007 at 9:14 am
the BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP of the alarm clock makes me jump alert. Even when I hear an alarm on a tv commercial, or someone else’s alarm clock, it makes me suddenly jump, as if asleep.
posted by jenny on 8-27-2007 at 9:33 am
One more – the doorbell on the television that makes our dog bark just as furiously as the real thing
posted by Kim F. on 8-27-2007 at 9:47 am
My driver’s side car door lock automatically locks the other doors, and it’s molded with the handle, so I’ve more or less trained myself to lock the car doors when I get out.
Which is fine, except for when I park it in the garage, so I find myself locking and then immediately unlocking the doors – I can’t not lock them, no matter how hard I try.
Worse yet is when I open my door before any passengers do so – I’ve “trapped” my wife in many a time, since she’s not conditioned to unlock before opening her door.
posted by mikelietz on 8-27-2007 at 9:47 am
1. The ‘bing’ that I have received an instant message causes me to stop whatever I am doing and opend it
2. The sound of the office fire alarm causes everyone to stand up and look at each other questioningly (rather than immediately walk out of the building!)
3. When ever a cashier states “I’m open here’ at the store causes a stampede to that register even when this causes the new line to be longer than the one you just left!
posted by JaneM on 8-27-2007 at 9:50 am
Alt-Tab’ing away from the browser window I have open when someone comes to my desk — even if what I’m browsing is work related.
I feel shame.
posted by EV on 8-27-2007 at 10:31 am
It’s GOT to be the sounds of the TiVo performing its various functions. I have friends whose three-year-olds definitely think they’re going to get an episode of Baby Einsteins when they hear the ding of “Now Playing” and the bink-bonk of shows being selected. It even works on me; I tend to say the noises out loud when I’m getting ready to watch a good show.
posted by Kate on 8-27-2007 at 10:38 am
In an airplane, as soon as we’ve landed and taxied and that little seat belt light switches off with a ding you hear the simultaneous click-click-click-click as everyone undoes their buckles and immediately springs out of their seats, spilling into the aisles clutching their bags. Even the people near the back of the plane. We can’t hope to get off for another five or ten minutes but as soon as we hear that little ding we all are standing tensely, waiting to be freed.
posted by Sarah on 8-27-2007 at 10:41 am
The most noticable conditioned response that I have come across lately is people checking their cell phones.
When a cell phone rings in a public places, almost everyone in the vicinity will check to see if it is their phone.
There is no way that everyone has the same ring tone, but we do it anyway. I have even caught myself doing it when I know my phone is on silent.
posted by Tru on 8-27-2007 at 10:47 am
EV, I used to do the same thing – I had a co-worker who noticed (and didn’t care that I had non-work windows open, and told me) who could not understand why it was so hard for me to not do this when he dropped by.
As I’ve been thinking about Pavlovian responses and my car, my biggest gripe about highway driving is the slowdowns caused by the brake light “memory effect” – a driver sees the car in front braking, even for a second, so he/she hits his brakes also, causing the car behind to do the same, and so forth. I actively make myself not brake, and almost every time find that I didn’t need to hit the brakes anyways. Hopefully the drivers behind me can appreciate that.
I’d like to stop flinching when small (unexpected) things are flying toward my windshield – The last thing I’d want would be to cause a big accident by uncontrollably trying to avoid a little one.
Non-car related? Every time I see a chance to win a shirt I click on the link.
posted by mikelietz on 8-27-2007 at 10:58 am
I always lock my door when leaving in the morning. It’s just ingrained! Normally, I just lock up during the week when going to work. Well, one Saturday morning I went out early to do some gardening and guess what–I locked myself out! I didn’t give it a second thought, I just locked the door. You know how that happens, you realize the second you do it, that oh crap, I just locked the door. And, of course, you try to jiggle the handle to see if it really is locked and it is. My husband was sleeping in and I didn’t want to wake him, so I just went on with the gardening. When I was ready to come in and ready to wake him, he ignored the doorbell. I tried a couple of times and nothing. Then I went to the neighbors to call him and he ignored the phone! Finally after the third time calling he came out the back door looking for me. By that time, I’m both worried that he’s dead or something, and hopping mad that he wouldn’t answer the door. Later he told me he thought I was in the house somewhere also ignoring the doorbell because it might have been the Jehovah’s Witness people. As for the phone, he’s the master at ignoring it when trying to sleep in. All this because I HAVE to lock the door when leaving!
posted by B.G. on 8-27-2007 at 11:03 am
I worked in a microbiology environment for years- one of the first places to have the auto-flush and auto faucets implemented in the bathroom, for obvious reasons. At home when using the facilities, I still remembered to flush and turn on the faucets for washing up, presumably because I was there often enough. But when out and about, or at a friend’s home, I would invariably wave my hands in front of the sink stupidly, awaiting the faucet to turn on by itself. When I realized what I was doing, I would always have to go back and flush the toilet, because I hadn’t bothered with it initially.
posted by Lebetho on 8-27-2007 at 11:34 am
I think Roger Rabbit could relate to the old “Shave and a haircut…” stimulus.
One of my driving pet peeves is creeping; we’re all stopped at a light, and one car creeps up 2 feet, causing every lemming behind to creep as well. When you drive a stick, that’s wasted energy man!
posted by Johnny Cat on 8-27-2007 at 11:43 am
* I’m a teacher. All I have to do is put my fingernails anywhere NEAR the blackboard and the entire class will cringe.
* Lots of sounds will totally get reactions. Just think how many people cringe when they hear a dentist’s drill, or how every parent will jump up at the merest hint of a baby’s crying.
* Thanksgiving. Everyone’s sitting there saying, “Oh, I’m so stuffed, I couldn’t eat another bite”…but then they see the pie, and now they’re starving….
posted by Rachelle on 8-27-2007 at 11:44 am
mikelietz, I have the same uncontrollable flinching problem. I nearly gave myself a concussion by whacking my head on the door frame of a walk-in closet when I swung my head to avoid a cataclysmic collision with an object falling off the shelf- a scarf.
posted by Alyssa on 8-27-2007 at 11:59 am
the office where i work has cubicles in quads. the quad where i used to sit was notorious for rubber band fights. we had rubber bands everywhere–& we were usually pretty good at hitting our targets! one guy had huge hands & could launch about 10 rubber bands at one time…usually in the direction of my head. now, every time i see someone pick up a rubber band, especially if they assume the launch position, i brace myself for the worst. i hardly ever get hit with the things & it doesn’t hurt when i do, i guess it’s the thought of being hit with a projectile that makes me flinch.
posted by debi_doo on 8-27-2007 at 12:22 pm
The only thing I can think of is how I jump and flap my hands in panic whenever a fire alarm goes off. Even when I know it’s going to go off– the schedule of drills was posted in my classroom–and know it’s a drill and know there’s no actual danger. It’s annoying and makes me look like a total idiot as well.
posted by sporkk on 8-27-2007 at 12:51 pm
Mine only seems to happen within my group of friends. In the queens of the stone age song theres a cow bell being played all through it. One of my friends pointed it out and now everytime one of us hears in we play air cow bell! I was doing it whilst walking through the city and didnt actually notice till half way through.
posted by Megan Davies on 8-27-2007 at 1:35 pm
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. It’s true that here in the Lone Star State any time someone sings loudly “The stars at night are big and bright” We will clap and respond. It only works for those who went to public school here though.
posted by J2daQ on 8-27-2007 at 1:47 pm
In a movie theatere, before the movie starts, they always have that little announcement about how “Silence is golden” or they don’t want you to “add your own soundtrack.”
In a lot of theaters they have a recording that accompanies it with common movie-theater annoyances (like a baby crying, cell phone ringing, someone talking, etc.). Even though it’s very clearly a recording and they’ve probably heard it hundreds of times, people ALWAYS seem to look in the direction of the speaker that’s playing the baby crying.
posted by Kaitie on 8-27-2007 at 1:58 pm
Some songs on the radio incorporate police or fire truck sirens, and even if I’m expecting it, I can’t help but check my mirrors while driving my car! Every time! I don’t really know if that is such a bad thing, though…
posted by Erin S. on 8-27-2007 at 2:15 pm
I worked as a caregiver for a very demanding woman who would sometimes call in the middle of the night just to yell at me. I had the same ringtone that whole year that I worked for her and just hearing it gives me the chills and a little jolt of adrenaline. Even though I have a new phone and new ringtone, it’s like she’s trying to call me again!
posted by ashleyd on 8-27-2007 at 2:29 pm
In my office, the senior manager’s door makes a specific “clunk clunk” when opened (audible throughout the office). That’s our cue to end office chatting and get back to work. Or at least surf the internet until he walks into our area.
posted by Rebekah on 8-27-2007 at 2:29 pm
another thing about the movie intro, whenever the fake baby starts crying, all of the other little kids will start crying.
posted by rachel on 8-27-2007 at 2:49 pm
I go to a coffee shop that has two distinct bells, one for the front door that does not sound like a doorbell and one for the cook to signal order up, which does sound like a doorbell, i have been attending this coffee shop for a number of years along with my study buddies.
With out fail every time there is an order up and the bell rings we all look to the front door, thinking some one want to come in
posted by Lindsey on 8-27-2007 at 2:52 pm
the exact same thing as Pavlov! the microwave goes DING. and food is ready. must. eat. now.
Just ask my 4 yr old!
posted by lauraess on 8-27-2007 at 3:03 pm
Ok, this is probably too much information, but it’s pretty funny:
My husband has a friend who lives out of town. When they were in university, they started calling each other on the phone at night when long distance was cheaper. Anyway, it happened to coincide with my husband’s bathroom schedule.
And now, pretty much without fail, if his buddy calls (at any time) I know I’d better be well clear of the bathroom within 10 minutes. It’s totally bizarre.
posted by Jai on 8-27-2007 at 3:29 pm
My cat is conditioned to be annoying whenever the can opener is used. We only fed her canned food for a few weeks when we first got her, but now she assumes that whatever we’re opening is for her.
Also, every morning, she will sit in the middle of the kitchen and meow and get in the way. She assumes that this is the way to get us to give her milk. Again, we’ve only done this a few times for her.
posted by Heather on 8-27-2007 at 3:45 pm
I’m in school, and I’m continuously reading, and after years of being the last one in classes because I never noticed the bell, I finally got conditioned to put all my stuff in my bag when I hear a bunch of papers shuffling [the other students leaving]. Problem is, it doesn’t only happen in school. I hear other people leave in, say, a cafe, and I have to pack, and unpack, my things.
I also walk when I hear others walking; this happened so strongly the other day while I was reading that when I looked up I was in a completely different building.
posted by Aemi on 8-27-2007 at 3:56 pm
My son is 5 months old and can wail uncontrollably until he sees his bottle. Then, no matter how terribly the world has wronged him, he will be quiet and stretch out his arms to grab it.
I know this doesn’t sound like classical conditioning, but it happens every time he sees his bottle. He could be laughing, crying, chattering or playing with his favorite toy, but as soon as he lays eyes on his bottle, all is silence and bliss.
Basically, my son is a little piggy.
posted by lallama on 8-27-2007 at 4:15 pm
I thought of another one:
the automatic response to the question “who are you gonna call?” no matter what context it’s asked in.
ghostbusters!
posted by sporkk on 8-27-2007 at 4:26 pm
Sound of a steak being turned over and sizzling, likewise the “shoosh” of a bottle of beer being opened. Both mouth watering Pavlovian sounds for me.
Also, though I’m 44, when I hear that jangling “Little Brown Jug,” I feel compelled to run down the street to find the ice cream man.
posted by Daune on 8-27-2007 at 4:29 pm
At lots of colleges in Australia, the boys have to drop their pants and all when they hear a particular song. I’ve heard that even old fellas who graduated decades ago still have the same response whenever their song comes on!
posted by Neem on 8-27-2007 at 4:31 pm
In the popular song Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn by Hellogoodbye, there is a -ding- heard (2:20) which is very similar to the sound heard when an im message is received.
The first time i listened, i wasnt paying attention, and i checked my windows to see who had imed me. Then i listened again, and had my friend check out the song. She actually imed me and said “did you hear that?”.
Just the first example that came to mind =]]
posted by Maxiebob on 8-27-2007 at 7:21 pm
I watched the film Fracture for the first time on DVD this week, and there are several moments where cell phones “ring” while set on vibrate. Usually cell phones rings in movies seem so false, but every time I heard the “buzz” of the phone set on vibrate, I immediately patted my pockets and reached for my purse, and found myself checking the phone for messages despite it obviously coming from the movie. It made me feel a little sad.
posted by Sass on 8-27-2007 at 7:47 pm
“Achoo!”
“Bless you”
Also, as a lifeguard, anytime I hear coughing I look for the person, even if I know my coworker has a cough and is standing next to me. Even more annoying is the face that I have to say “Slow down” to anyone at any pool when then are walking quickly or running on deck (I’ve been a guard for 5 years).
posted by Amy on 8-27-2007 at 8:05 pm
While watching “Heroes,” my husband started whispering “Sliders” whenever the eclipse intro showed up. Sometime during a day of watching the season straight through, I realized I was saying it with him… O_o
posted by TGecko on 8-28-2007 at 12:28 am
The “CSI Miami” theme song: “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who. Every time it comes on, I can’t resist playing air guitar to the last five chords — including windmill!
posted by --Mike on 8-28-2007 at 6:44 am
I’m surprised no one else mentioned this one, but the “O” in the national anthem at the orioles games was always a big one for me as a kid. Any time during the national anthem, regardless of the situation (ballpark or, more likely, elsewhere) I would immediately throw my arms over my head forming the obligatory “O” in “Oh say does that starspangled banner yet wave….”
Much to my surprise, this trend isn’t just at Orioles games, where the O makes sense. I also found the same thing at college basketball games at Duke…. I’m just not sure what the O is for there, but rest assured, i contributed.
posted by Jake on 8-28-2007 at 10:31 am
A few years ago, my co-workers and I “followed” a local band. Whenever the band played “Mony Mony”, it seems that everyone in the club yelled the phrase “get F%#*ed” in place of the actual chorus. Embarassing when the song played on the radio in the office.
posted by Catherine on 8-28-2007 at 12:09 pm
Ever been to Texas? Go to a busy street and yell, “The Stars at night are big and bright…”
Everyone will stop, clap 4 times and sing, “DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!”
posted by Witty Nickname on 8-28-2007 at 12:32 pm
About 4 years ago when I lived with my parents they would order Dominos pizza every friday night. This happened every week for months on end with no change. I have been living on my own for 2 years now, but every friday on my way home from work I get an almost irressitable craving for Dominos pizza
posted by chris on 8-28-2007 at 8:31 pm
My town has a fire station with a phone number that starts with “9″ and the rest of the digits are the same as a popular theaters number. People call the theater from home but when they pick up their phone they automatically dial like they do at work, they dial 9 to get an outside line and end up calling the fire station.
Years ago when I roller-skated the DJ would play “Endless Love” for couples skates(couple’s only skating), the song would end and he would announce “All skate.” One day, long after I had quit skating, I turned the car radio on and “Endless Love” was on. Just as it ended, I felt an urge to say “All Skate” so I did(as a joke), just a half second before the DJ did a joke by also saying “All skate” and saying it was “force of habit.”
posted by Tdave on 8-29-2007 at 12:07 am
Technically you are talking about B.F. Skinner not Pavlov. Pavlov worked with involuntary responses like salivating called (Classical Conditioning). Behavior modification over voluntary movements like hand clapping is called (Operant Conditioning). Your increased heart rate at hearing an alarm would be Pavlov. When you lock the seatbelt without thinking that would Skinner.
My best example was when we moved across town. On more than one occasion I would drive all the way to the old neighborhood before I realized I engaged in my old behavior.
posted by dr howard on 8-29-2007 at 12:20 am
I have noticed that many work places now have bells on the doors where customers enter. At my work place, any time the bell goes off, everyone working automatically says “Welcome to ____, can I help you?” I’ve seen this at various other places as well.
posted by Seth on 8-29-2007 at 8:16 am