Ivan Pavlov in "Lecture Xxiii," Term Paper

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 human beings and dogs, while very methodical and scientific, therefore falls somewhat short of being truly valid in the scientific process.

Nevertheless, it is also important to recognize the scientific value of Pavlov's methodology at the time. As mentioned above, it laid the foundation for future research and for the evolution of studies pertaining to the human brain and psychology. It is also important to acknowledge Pavlov's own awareness of the limitations of his research. He admits that human beings are far more complex than dogs, especially in their reaction to hypnotic stimuli. He also acknowledges that dogs do not suffice in certain areas of research in terms of human beings. The research was however very useful in terms of physiological response......