
Pavlov's Legacy
How and What Animals Learn
Robert A. Boakes(Author)
Cambridge University Press
Published on 5. October 2023
Book
Hardback
370 pages
978-1-316-51207-4 (ISBN)
Description
Pavlov claimed that his experiments with dogs would transform the study of psychology and the treatment of mental illness. His work inspired researchers to study how animals learn to traverse mazes, avoid shocks, or press levers to obtain food, and also to compare the learning and cognitive abilities of different species, ranging from apes and dolphins to rats and pigeons. This book describes five decades of research into animal learning and comparative psychology, examining Pavlov's influence on this research and discoveries made by scientists who accepted many of his claims, while others looked for evidence to reject them. Drawing together diverse strands of research and providing historical and biographical information to bring the details to life, this is an ideal resource for graduate students and researchers in behavioural neuroscience, as well as for anyone in adjacent fields with an interest in learning theory.
Reviews / Votes
'Pavlov's Legacy is not merely a historical account; it is a crucial textbook for anyone in the field of psychology or behavioral science seeking to understand the genesis and evolution of ideas that continue to shape our understanding of learning.' Aaron P. Blaisdell, The Quarterly Review of BiologyMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Edition type
New edition
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
Dimensions
Height: 248 mm
Width: 180 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
812 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-316-51207-4 (9781316512074)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
10/2023
Cambridge University Press
€80.49
Available for download

E-Book
09/2023
Cambridge University Press
€80.49
Available for download
Person
Robert A. Boakes is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Sydney. He has held positions at universities in the UK and USA, focussing his research efforts on the study of learning, mainly in animals. He has published numerous articles on animal learning and co-authored a Cambridge handbook on animal training, Carrots and Sticks (2007), following his highly regarded previous Cambridge book, From Darwin to Behaviourism (1984).
Content
1. Ivan Pavlov, Conditioned reflexes and experimental neuroses; 2. Developing habits: clark hull and the hullians; 3. Learning where things are and where events happen; 4. Fear, avoidance and punishment; 5. Comparative psychology: species differences in what animals can learn; 6. Imprinting and constraints on learning; 7. Discrimination learning and attention; 8. B. F. Skinner and the experimental analysis of behavior; 9. How animals learn to associate events.