Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PAVLOVIAN
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pronounce
PAVLOVIAN:
Several ways are accepted by dictionaries.
I like "pav LOV ee yun."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Let's add our word Pavlovian to a handful of others with a psychological flavor:
1. Groupthink: why is it dangerous?
2. Introversion: is it a blessing, a curse, or both?
3. Fremdscham: do you get it often, sometimes, or hardly ever?
definition:
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), the Russian psychologist, is famous for working with dogs and using them to discover classical conditioning.
That's the process of getting someone, or some animal, to strongly associate some neutral stimulus (like a bell ringing) with some physically powerful stimulus (like the smell of delicious food), resulting in the neutral stimulus (the bell) causing the physical reaction (say, drooling) that you'd expect from the physically powerful stimulus.
So, if you talk about your Pavlovian association, or your Pavlovian response or reaction, you mean it's automatic, immediate, and unthinking, as if you've been psychologically trained.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Proper adjective, so you always capitalize it: "a Pavlovian response," "their Pavlovian reaction."
Other forms:
Pavlov, Pavlovianism.
how to use it:
"Pavlovian" is a scholarly word, but it's semi-common: it refers to one of the most basic ideas in the history of psychology.
Pick it when you want to emphasize how someone's reaction, response, or impulse seems automatic, unthinking, involuntary, and trained.
examples:
"The bell rang, saving me, and we all rose like Pavlovian dogs, eager to run to our next classes."
— Shaun David Hutchinson, We Are The Ants, 2016
"I wasn't thinking straight, and anytime my phone rang, my old Pavlovian impulse was to pick it up."
— Random Riggs, Hollow City, 2014
has this page helped you understand "Pavlovian"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "Pavlovian" without saying "instantaneous" or "conditioned."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Something) is a Pavlovian signal to (do something)."
Example 1: "The lyrics 'So no one told you life was gonna be this way' are a Pavlovian signal to clap four times."
Example 2: "The first sign of trouble in the romantic comedy 'Love Is All You Need' is the clichéd and incessant use of 'That’s Amore.' Ever since that early-’50s Dean Martin hit was used in 'Moonstruck' in 1987, the song has been pop culture's Pavlovian signal to wallow in the jollier side of all things Italian."
— Stephen Holden, New York Times, 2 May 2013
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is Apt Adjective Anagrams!
I'll invent a person's name and a brief description, and you unscramble the letters in their name to form an adjective that aptly describes the person or the person's situation.
For example: Carl Rebe has three advanced degrees. You rearrange the letters in "Carl Rebe" to form the adjective "cerebral," meaning "brainy, smart, or intellectual.” Sentimental movies always bring Martin Devesto to tears? He’s demonstrative. Lilian Tulip is dainty in the extreme? She’s lilliputian. Tia Fauns runs a sweatshop and is filthy rich? Perhaps she made a bargain with the devil, because her lifestyle is Faustian.
To see the answer, scroll all the way down.
Try this one today: You haven't seen your acquaintance Oscar Dip in a while, but he'll eventually show up to one or two of your friends' parties this year.
review this word:
A. APT, FITTING, and APPROPRIATE.
B. WEAK, DIMINISHED, and EMACIATED.
C. RUMINATIVE, REFLECTIVE, and ANALYTICAL.
2.
In the song "Brian Wilson," BNL sings "You can call me Pavlov's dog. _____"
A. When I'm surrounded, I just can't stop.
B. Ring a bell and I'll salivate, how'd you like that?
C. And if you want to find me, I'll be out in the sandbox.
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Let's add our word Pavlovian to a handful of others with a psychological flavor:
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), the Russian psychologist, is famous for working with dogs and using them to discover classical conditioning.
Part of speech:
"Pavlovian" is a scholarly word, but it's semi-common: it refers to one of the most basic ideas in the history of psychology.
"The bell rang, saving me, and we all rose like Pavlovian dogs, eager to run to our next classes."
Explain the meaning of "Pavlovian" without saying "instantaneous" or "conditioned."
Fill in the blanks: "(Something) is a Pavlovian signal to (do something)."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |