Pavlov in America: A Heterodox Approach to the Study of his Influence

Abstract

This work presents a critical analysis of Pavlov's influence that goes beyond the conventional view: that which reduces his influence in American psychology to the behaviorism of Watson and Hull. In order to understand the nature of the Russian physiologist's influence in American psychology, we propose a distinction between three approaches to it: 1) the symbolic approach, on representing a model of the possibility of constructing an objective psychology; 2) the methodological approach, given the importance of the technique of conditional reflexes; and 3) the theoretical approach, which is derived from his theory of higher nervous activity. This perspective permits us to suggest that most of Pavlov's influence on behaviorism was of a symbolic and methodological nature-though the methodological influence also reached other authors that did not belong to the behaviorist traditions, as was the case of Mateer. As far as the theoretical influence is concerned, our work proposes that it is more visible in authors such as Gantt and Liddell, or even in authors such as Boldirev, Director of the Pavlovian Laboratory at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan. The case of Gantt is especially interesting because, in addition to his important contributions, he played an essential role in the foundation of the Pavlovian Society, and the journal Conditional Reflex. What our work proposes is that to understand the nature of Pavlov's influence in American psychology it is necessary to take into account the very characteristics of that psychology: its pragmatic interests, its methodological rigor, the dominant systems of neo-behavioral theory and the changes that occurred after the Second World War. Keywords: Pavlov, American psychology, behaviorismEn el presente trabajo se realiza un análisis crítico de la influencia de Pavlov que va más allá de su visión convencional: aquélla que reduce su influencia en la psicología americana al conductismo de Watson y Hull. Para entender la naturaleza de la influencia del fisiólogo ruso en la psicología norteamericana proponemos distinguir entre tres sentidos de la misma: 1) el simbólico, al representar un modelo de la posibilidad de construir una psicología objetiva; 2) el metodológico, por la importancia de la técnica de los reflejos condicionales; 3) el teórico, que se deriva de su teoría de la actividad nerviosa superior. Esta perspectiva nos permite sugerir que la mayor parte de la influencia de Pavlov sobre el conductismo fue de carácter simbólico y metodológico, aunque la influencia metodológica también alcanzó a autores que no pertenecieron a las tradiciones conductistas como fue el caso de Mateer. En lo que concierne a la influencia teórica, nuestro trabajo propone que es más visible en autores como Gantt y Liddell, o en otros menos conocidos como Boldirev, director de un laboratorio pavloviano en el Battle Creek Sanitarium de Michigan. El caso de Gantt nos parece de especial interés porque además de sus importantes contribuciones, jugó un papel esencial en la fundación de la Pavlov...

A History of Dogs as Subjects in North American Experimental Psychological Research

“…The reasons for the adoption of Bekhterev's methods over Pavlov's are multifaceted, including issues of historical timing and some pragmatic preferences for his experimental techniques. Watson, in his 1915 American Psychological Association Presidential Address, mentioned Pavlov's techniques but focused on and expressed his preference for Bekhterev's (Ruiz, Sánchez, & De la Casa, 2003;Watson, 1916), as did others (Brogden, 1962). …”

“…Gantt typically utilized Bekhterev's motor reflex preparation, although he sometimes used the salivary reflex. He also attempted to condition other physiological systems, including the cardiac, respiratory, and renal systems (Ruiz et al, 2003). This multifaceted approach allowed for comparisons of the conditionability of different systems, which Gantt found were often differentially conditionable and not in accord.…”

“…This multifaceted approach allowed for comparisons of the conditionability of different systems, which Gantt found were often differentially conditionable and not in accord. That is, the conditioned reflex, or CR, in one system might have extinguished, but the CR of another system to the same conditioned stimulus, or CS, continued, a status he termed schizokinesis (see Harvey, 1995;and Ruiz et al, 2003, for more complete descriptions of Gantt's conceptual framework). Gantt considered his work on cardiac conditioning the most interesting aspect of his research (Reese et al, 1987), and Harvey (1995) suggested that this work might have been his principal addition to Pavlov's studies.…”

“…He published over 700 articles (see Horvath, 1987, for a full list of Gantt's publications) and was nominated for a Nobel Prize in 1970 (Harvey, 1995). At the time that Gantt was working, neo-Behaviorism was at its peak and Gantt's work was largely overlooked (see Reese et al, 1987;and Ruiz et al, 2003 for discussion of possible contributing factors). Gantt's attention to experimental integrity in the tradition of Pavlov, and his use of singlesubject designs to give very complete analyses of individual differences and their persistence over an individual's lifetime, make his work worthy of rediscovery.…”

Georg F. Nicolai: aportes para un estudio de recepción de las ideas de Pavlov en Argentina

“…En el trabajo de Ruiz, Sánchez y De la Casa (2003), se realiza un análisis crítico de la influencia de Pavlov en América (del norte, fundamentalmente). Para ello, definen tres sentidos en los que puede entenderse tal influencia.…”