Pavlov, Ivan Petrovich | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

Pavlov, Ivan Petrovich

1849–1936

RUSSIAN PHYSIOLOGIST, PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCHER

ST. PETERSBURG UNIVERSITY, 1875; IMPERIAL MEDICAL ACADEMY (A.K.A. MEDICAL-SURGICAL ACADEMY), MD, 1879

Brief Overview

Although he won the Nobel Prize for his research on the physiology of the digestive system of dogs, Ivan Pavlov left his most lasting legacy in psychology. In a career that spanned nearly seven decades, Pavlov discovered the basic concepts behind associative learning in both animals and humans. His theory of conditioned reflexes, or "training" individuals to respond to a neutral stimulus, laid the groundwork for behavioral psychology and associative learning theory. In addition, his work on experimental neuroses, or behavioral and thought problems caused by conditioning techniques, explained the causes of some mental disorders and, more importantly, helped develop effective behavioral therapy methods.

Pavlov began to study conditioned reflexes after conducting research on the digestive system of dogs. He discovered that his laboratory dogs would salivate after hearing a sound or other sensory stimulus that they had learned to associate with food, even if no food was present. Pavlov conducted meticulous and extensive studies into this phenomenon. He also pioneered new laboratory techniques.

Influenced in part by British naturalist Charles Darwin, Pavlov theorized that conditioned reflexes served as a survival mechanism.

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