Eren's logic checks out here. Yup, no issues about pesky things like "ethics" or anything like that.

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"Have you ever heard of Pavlov's dog?" Dr. Deigns voice came through shakily on what sounded like a laptop microphone.

In the stillness of her living room, Eren shook her head, "No, I don't think so."

Dr. Deigns explained, "It's a famous experiment conducted by Ivan Pavlov in the late 1800s. He discovered that he could train dogs to associate a specific sound with food. Every time the dogs heard the sound, they would begin to salivate because they had learned that the sound meant food was coming. I believe we can use this same principle to discipline your son."

Eren was intrigued, "How so?"

"Well," continued the man that had left his webcam off while encouraging Eren to turn on hers, "If you consistently praised your son when he does something good, he will associate good behavior with positive attention. On the other hand, if you consistently discipline him when he misbehaves, like his little outburst at school today, he will associate bad behavior with negative attention."

Eren thought about this for a moment and then nodded, "That makes sense. But that just seems like fairly standard parenting to me. You just dressed it up with a fancy word, Doctor."

After a moment, Dr. Deigns cleared his throat and began again, "I just wanted to make sure that you understood the concept, Ms. Taylor. It isn't that you discipline him that was the takeaway, it's precisely how. I'd like to discuss the nature of smells, are you familiar with aromatherapy?"

Eren shook her head, "Isn't that some kind of hippy crap? Essential oils and whatnot?"

"That "hippy crap" is a form of alternative medicine that uses essential oils to enhance physical and psychological well-being," Dr. Deigns explained. "What if I told you that certain scents can evoke different emotions and memories in people? For example, the smell of baking cookies might evoke feelings of comfort and home, while the smell of roses might evoke feelings of love and romance."

Eren nodded, "Okay, I follow you."

"What if we used this knowledge to train your son?" Dr. Deigns continued. "What if every time he misbehaves, you provide a scent that he associates with discipline or negative attention, and every time he does something good, a scent that he associates with praise and positive attention? Over time, he will begin to associate these scents with the corresponding actions, and it will have a profound impact on his behavior."

Eren was skeptical, "I'm not sure I believe that scents can have that much of an effect on behavior. What kind of scent did you have in mind? I'd imagine a bad smell or something like that?"

Dr. Deigns chuckled, "Happy to see we're on the same wavelength, Ms. Taylor. That's precisely what I have in mind. Though you will need to trust me and keep an open mind before I continue, and ensure that no part of our conversation will leave this video call. Do I have your word?"

Eren frowned, but only for a moment, she'd reached out to him after finding him on Facebook. She wasn't sure how much to trust a stranger, but he seemed like a decent sort.

"Of course! This is kind of exciting. I'm happy to try whatever you suggest."

"Excellent! Then let's begin..."

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