One of the fascinating parts of my Psych study involved behaviour modification and conditioning. The classic example of Pavlov's dog(s) - salivating when a bell rings, for example. The more interesting random-reinforcement mode in operant conditioning - the way poker machines get people to sit in front of them for hours on end.
I've become an interesting case study in my own right. Because conditioning worked on me in one area, but not another.
When I was in the early months of pregnancy, I was still into gaming. The Sims 2, to be exact. I know, I should have grown out of it by now, but it was a slightly more involved way to waste time than Freecell.
Anyway, these days I can't even look at the game. Any time I even think of playing it, I feel slightly nauseous. All those months when I battled through morning sickness to play the game became a form of aversion therapy, and now the idea of putting in the CD makes me go a little green around the edges.
Similar effects have been noticed with boiled eggs. They were a staple in early pregnancy, but I find it hard to make one for myself, now. I enjoy eating them once I get going, but it's that initial hump that is difficult.
Now, why didn't it work for chocolate?
