Ivan Pavlov   (1849-1936) accidentally discovered classical conditioning   while studying digestive processes in dogs.   He discovered that dogs salivated before receiving their food.  In fact, after repeated pairing of the lab attendant and the food, the dogs started to salivate at the sight of the lab assistants.  

  John B. Watson (1878-1958) studied how classical conditioning could be applied to humans.  Watson’s experiment suggested that classical conditioning could explain the acquisition of some phobias .

     B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) discovered operant conditioning by looking at how behavior can be adjusted through positive and negative reinforcement and punishment. 


  Schools of Thought Extensive timeline for the various schools of psychology. 

  Cognitive Revolution   Comprehensive information about B.F. Skinner,  Noam Chomsky, and the Cognitive Revolution.

 

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