Brave New World

Chap 2 Explain the conditioning exercise that the Delta infants at the Centre experience. What is the purpose of the “lesson”? How does it reflect the Pavlov’s theory? Explain the economic rationale for conditioning lower-caste children to hate flowers.

Explain the conditioning exercise that the Delta infants at the Centre experience. What is the purpose of the “lesson”? How does it reflect the Pavlov’s theory? Explain the economic rationale for conditioning lower-caste children to hate flowers.

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The students continue their tour of the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre. They watch "Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning," a technique that trains infants. Here, the use of electric shocks and sirens in response to touching roses or books modifies the behavior of Deltas. This discourages behavior that might destabilize society, such as allowing Deltas to read books and acquire knowledge. Pavlovian conditioning comes from Pavlov’s research, which showed that animals could learn to do an action through punishment and reward. Huxley expands this concept to humans, who use it to condition the babies of the lower classes. In his example, Deltas learn to avoid roses and books by giving them electric shocks when they touch those items. Psychologically, this conditioning also lowers these classes to the status of animals.

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