PAVLOV'S DOGS

In school we learned about Pavlov’s Dog experiments. Ivan Pavlov could train dogs to respond to certain stimuli. If he fed a dog soon after ringing a bell he determined that the dog would associate the bell with being fed. The recess monitors at the Bigelow School where I attended in the 1940’s used the same principle. At recess we boys could yell and scream and carry on as only young boys can, but what we could not do was run…. for some unknown reason that was forbidden in the school yard.

So with all the bedlam occurring during recess it would all come to a screeching halt with the ringing of the school monitors bell. All of us froze in our place without movement and sound. Who knew the power of a ringing bell.

The monitor would then admonish the running boys with a stern “There will be no running during recess” There was a moment of silence while we all gathered our thoughts. Then as if nothing happened, the bell would be rung again and we resumed the bedlam until we had to return to the classrooms.

Sometimes, when I hear a bell ringing now I automatically stop for a moment. I, like Pavlov’s dogs have been totally conditioned.