Classical Conditioning since Pavlov

Abstract

In the three quarters of a century following Pavlov's work, the accumulation of factual information about classical conditioning has continued, but there has been little conceptual progress. The only thing we have now that approximates a workable general theory of conditioning was introduced more than 30 years ago and continues to receive a good deal of respectful consideration despite a variety of generally recognized shortcomings that little has been done to repair; nor does a systematic review of recent papers in leading journals give any good reason to think that a more satisfactory theory is in the making. A remedial strategy, recommended long ago by C. L. Hull and by E. R. Hilgard, is proposed and exemplified by some research with honeybees.