Ivan Pavlov

Ivan Pavlov (26 September 1849 – 27 February 1936) was a Russian physiologist known primarily for his work in classical conditioning.

Early life and education

Pavlov was born in Ryazan, Russia. He began his higher education as a seminary student, but dropped out to study the natural sciences at the University of Saint Petersburg. He received his doctorate in 1879.

Career

In 1891, Pavlov was appointed professor of pharmacology at the Military Medical Academy. He became widely known for his experiments with dogs, which led him to formulate the concept of the conditioned reflex.

Classical conditioning

Pavlov's most famous experiment involved a bell as a conditioned stimulus. In his initial experiments, Pavlov would ring a bell and then give the dog food; after repeated pairings, the dog began to salivate to the sound of the bell alone, demonstrating what is now known as a conditioned response.

Legacy

Pavlov's work laid the groundwork for the study of behaviorism in psychology, and his experiments remain some of the most famous in the field. His work has also influenced fields such as education, marketing, and even computer science.

See also

• Conditioned reflex
• Behaviorism
• John B. Watson

External links

• Nobel Prize Biography

• Ivan Pavlov
  Ivan Pavlov
• Pavlov House in Ryazan
  Pavlov House in Ryazan
• Portrait of Ivan Pavlov and his future wife S.V. Karchevskaya, July 1880
  Portrait of Ivan Pavlov and his future wife S.V. Karchevskaya, July 1880
• Portrait of Ivan Pavlov by Nesterov
  Portrait of Ivan Pavlov by Nesterov
• One of Pavlov's dogs
  One of Pavlov's dogs
• Ivan Pavlov, H.G. Wells, and Pavlov's granddaughter Milochka, 1924
  Ivan Pavlov, H.G. Wells, and Pavlov's granddaughter Milochka, 1924