Nature — Season 1, Episode 11: The Discovery of Animal Behavior: A Question of Learning

Episode synopsis

First there is a re-creation of Ivan Pavlov's experiments which led to the discovery of the "conditioned reflex." Then we see the investigation by Otto Pfungst of "Kluge Hans" (Clever Hans) a horse whose apparent knowledge of arithmetic was actually response to subtle signals from his trainer. We also see dramatizations of Thomdike's experiments with chicks, Watson's with terns, and B. F. Skinner's famed work at Harvard in the thirties.

About Nature

Consistently stunning documentaries transport viewers to far-flung locations ranging from the torrid African plains to the chilly splendours of icy Antarctica. The show's primary focus is on animals and ecosystems around the world. A comic book based on the show, meant to be used an as educational tool for kids, was briefly distributed to museums and schools at no cost in the mid-2000s.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1The Flight of the Condor: Ice, Wind, and Fire
• E2The Flight of the Condor: Ocean, Desert, and Thin Air
• E3The Flight of the Condor: Down the Amazon
• E4Amate: The Great Fig Tree
• E5Kopje: A Rock for All Seasons
• E6On the Edge of Paradise
• E7Forest in the Clouds
• E8The Discovery of Animal Behavior: Natural Mysteries
• E9The Discovery of Animal Behavior: In Praise of God
• E10The Discovery of Animal Behavior: Search for the Mind
• E12The Discovery of Animal Behavior: Signs and Signals
• E13The Discovery of Animal Behavior: Living Together