View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/pavlovian-reactions-aren-t-just-for-dogs-benjamin-n-witts

Dr. Ivan Pavlov's groundbreaking work revealed that a dog will respond to neutral stimuli, such as a bell, in the same way that it will respond to, say, mouth-watering food. This research is widely applicable beyond a dog's salivation. Benjamin N. Witts sketches a few situations in which people are conditioned to react in a Pavlovian way, from dating to parenting.

Lesson by Benjamin N. Witts, animation by AirFox Media.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices