Question

In a famous experiment at the IISC campus, when a cat smelled milk, it salivated. In the experiment, a bell was rung whenever food was placed near the cat. After a number of trials, only the bell was rung, whereupon the cat would salivate even though no food was present. Such behaviour has been observed in other animals such as dogs, monkeys, etc. and is a vital input for training domesticated animals.
Which of the following conclusions may be drawn from the above experiment?

• A. Cats and other animals can be easily tricked.
• B. The ringing of a bell was associated with food in the mind of the Cat.
• C. A conclusion cannot be reached on the basis of one experiment.
• D. Two stimuli are stronger than one.

Answer 1

The correct option is B The ringing of a bell was associated with food in the mind of the Cat.

In the experiment, bell was rung simultaneously while the food was introduced. The cat started salivating at the sight of the food; coincidently the same time the bell was rung. When the bell rang without he food, the cat still salivated. This shows that, the cat has associated the ringing of the bell with the introduction of food. This is explained in option (b).