The smell and look of dog food triggers a dog’s saliva production. This is an unconditioned, inborn reflex. In this case the food being the triggering stimulus and the saliva production the reaction to it. In what was probably his most famous dog experiment, Dr. Ivan Pavlov proved that the inborn reflex can be replaced by a semiskilled one, nevertheless triggering the same reflex. Every time after ringing a bell, Pavlov fed his dog. After a while of conditioning, the ringing of the bell alone triggered the dog’s saliva production, without any food being close by. With my ring FROLIC IVAN I am using the knowledge of Pavlovian conditioning to trigger feelings of happiness on demand. And this is how it works: FROLIC IVAN has a small incorporated bell which its wearer can ring whenever he or she is happy. After a while of conditioning the ringing of the bell is sufficient to trigger happiness without any other stimulus. It is quite simple to convince oneself of the conditioning of emotions by envisioning the sound of a dentist’s drill or by humming a holiday song on a dreary day in autumn.
Frolic Ivan II (Pavnose Dog): The conditioning is effected by the sense of smell.

Silver 925
Created for the exhibition SCHNAPSIDEE (crackpot idea) at Friends of Carlotta