
In the movie Clockwork, doctors use classical conditioning in an attempt to change the ways of their patient, Alex. Alex is placed in a movie theater and is forced to watch violent, grotesque films. Meanwhile, the doctors have given him a drug to make him feel extremely nauseous. When the stimulus changes, so does his response...
BEFORE:
Unconditioned Stimulus: Feeling inclined towards violence/ seeing violence (without drugs).
Unconditioned Response: Violent acts.
AFTER:
Conditioned Stimulus: Feeling inclined towards violence/ seeing violence (with drugs).
Conditioned Response: Getting sick.
When I watched this experiment, it reminded me of the ways dogs are trained. Dog trainers use both positive and negative associations to train dogs. The doctors in the movie use negative association to turn Alex off to violence. It is arguable that Alex completely loses his sense of free-will when he participates in this experiment. He is being manipulated like a dog.
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