Ivan Pavlov in "Lecture Xxiii,"

Ivan Pavlov In "Lecture XXIII," Ivan Pavlov describes several experiments conducted on dogs, and how these could help to elucidate a variety of psychological conditions and their concomitant physiological symptoms. Firstly, Pavlov distinguishes between two conditions in dogs that produce pathological disturbance; these are the excitatory and the inhibitory processes. In comparing the results of his experiments to conditions found in human beings, Pavlov concludes that these processes are also responsible for nervous and psychic disturbances in human beings.

Specifically, strong and weak stimuli were used to determine the reaction in dogs. These were varied according to the specific cortical constitution of the dogs. Pavlov's experiments are useful in terms of the light they shed on human neurotic and psychological conditions. Indeed, his work set the precedent for future experiments to help humanity in its advances to understand various conditions not only of the human brain, but of the entire physiology.

The link that Pavlov attempts to make between human and animal has paved the way for further experimentation such as those on primates. Pavlov's choice of dogs for his hypothesis relating to the link between human and animal conditioning is interesting. Dogs are very simple psychological creatures as compared to human beings. The more logical choice for experimental animals would probably have been primates, as commonly accepted today. His reasoning regarding the human-animal link in terms of experimentation however does make sense.

Furthermore his logical and consistent methodology appears to be scientifically sound. Another issue that Pavlov raises is hypnotism, comparing the accepted form of animal hypnotism during the time of his writing with that of human beings. Once again, he draws interesting parallels between the effect of various stimuli between human beings and a relatively simple animal such as the dog.

After a description of animal hypnotism with the help of repetitive movement, Pavlov describes the various forms that human hypnotism might take, and the effect of such hypnotism on the human brain. In this, Pavlov admits the difficulty of comparing human beings to animals, because of the sheer complexity of the former. This is particularly so, as mentioned above, in the case of dogs, as they are very simple animals as compared to human beings. Furthermore, a shortcoming in Pavlov's reasoning relates to the stimulus-response paradigm.

Despite admitting to the complexity of the human mind, Pavlov nonetheless assumes the predominance of the stimulus-response factor in both human beings and animals. Hence the assumptions that lead to his comparison between human and animal reactions. In this, he also assumes that human neuroses and pathologies are the result of stimuli and responses rather than the result of deeper issues in the human brain. Indeed, the subconscious is mentioned only briefly, indicating the lack of knowledge in this area at the time.

Pavlov also does not acknowledge the human faculty of choice, further indicating the infancy of psychological research during the time of his lecture. His comparison between.