At the sight of a treat, my dog instantly drools (a lot)! (Think Pavlov’s Law.) Pavlov’s dogs received treats from techs in lab coats. Eventually, every time the dogs saw someone in a lab coat, they automatically reacted by salivating! Well, just like Pavlov’s puppies, our brains have become hard wired to react to certain things too!
- This can be a good thing: When your son falls off his bike, you run to his side to comfort him. You don’t stop and ask: “Gee, what should I do?”
- It also can be a not-so-good thing: When you walk into the house and it looks like a tornado hit, you may automatically react with a lot of yelling, accusations, demands ... you get the picture.
So what automatic reactions do you have? Not sure? Ask your family! Are they effective? What needs to change?