The Compensatory Response

A model of Classical conditioning, the Compensatory Response gives a great example of how the mind and body work together to maintain optimum health and equilibrium.

This 2-minute video was created by the students of San Diego Mesa College - Psi Beta Honors Society.

Credits:

Written and Produced by Amy Flowers, Makenzie Sheckells, Kylie, King, Nadia Pisano, Juanita Ortega-Golden, Alexandria Romei, Tim Ackerson, and Elvis the Dog


References:

Alcohol-predictive cues enhance tolerance to and precipitate "craving" for alcohol in social drinkers. C G McCusker and K Brown. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 1990 51:6, 494-499

Heroin "overdose" death: contribution of drug-associated environmental cues. S Siegel, RE Hinson, MD Krank, J McCully. Science 23 Apr 1982: Vol. 216, Issue 4544, pp. 436-437 DOI: 10.1126/science.720026

Transcript:

00:00 - Ever notice yourself feeling more and
00:02 - more tired in the morning until you get
00:04 - that sweet cup of joe even with your
00:06 - daily routine in place you still forget
00:07 - your order and this unexpected
00:09 - grogginess reconfirms your desperate
00:11 - need for some coffee more specifically
00:12 - caffeine what if I told you the culprit
00:15 - to your morning tiredness might actually
00:16 - be the result of your daily coffee
00:18 - ritual believe it or not classical
00:20 - conditioning is to blame
00:21 - more specifically the compensatory
00:23 - response model yep good old Pavlov, in
00:27 - our example coffee is the unconditioned
00:29 - stimulus and your routine whether it be
00:30 - your car your walk up to the coffee shop
00:32 - or the sweet smell of Java hitting your
00:34 - olfactory senses, they become the
00:35 - conditioned stimulus only this time the
00:38 - Bell is your cue for coffee your coffee
00:40 - is the food and you my dear are
00:41 - Pavlovs sweet salivating pup of science
00:44 - so how about that tiredness what you're
00:47 - most likely experiencing is a result of
00:49 - the body's compensatory response it goes
00:51 - like this the body strives to maintain
00:53 - homeostasis that is a relative
00:55 - equilibrium within the physiological
00:56 - components of the body including body
00:58 - temperature heart rate and blood
00:59 - pressure in an effort to maintain this
01:02 - homeostasis the body depends on external
01:03 - stimuli to protect potential threats and
01:05 - prepare itself to respond to the impemding
01:07 - physiological change just as Pavlov's
01:09 - dog began to salivate in preparation
01:10 - for food your body will actually begin
01:12 - to prepare for the physiological changes
01:14 - caffeine or any substance for that
01:15 - matter will cause on the body therefore
01:18 - if caffeine naturally elevates your
01:19 - heart rate and your body receives cues
01:21 - that is about to consume caffeine it
01:23 - will physiologically compensate or
01:25 - prepare the body for the stimulant
01:26 - action of caffeine and will actually
01:28 - lower your heart rate before consumption
01:30 - and boom that's why you're so sleepy
01:32 - how's that for mind-body connection
01:35 - something to keep in mind any substance
01:38 - that will cause a physiological change
01:39 - within the body has the potential to
01:41 - also condition the compensatory response
01:43 - within each individual stimulants
01:44 - tobacco drugs alcohol even sugar and
01:47 - caffeine are common examples of such
01:49 - substances keep this in mind as you
01:50 - build and shape your daily routines pay
01:52 - attention to what you put into your body
01:54 - know your surroundings and make sure
01:55 - your routine involves healthy lifestyle
01:57 - choices and self-care

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