Toward a Modern View of Pavlovian Conditioning in Applied Behavior Analysis.

Abstract

The characterization of Pavlovian conditioning in behavior analysis is outdated. Pavlovian conditioning is not limited to the conditioning of glandular and visceral responses; it also involves responses that participate in operant contingencies, and the elicitation of motivational or emotional states that affect operant behavior. Contemporary formulations emphasize the inseparability of behavior from the antecedent contextual stimuli in the presence of which the behavior occurs. Operant procedures also involve various relations between behavior and antecedent and consequential stimuli, making Pavlovian relations an integral but often overlooked part of operant procedures. Considering these issues encourages increased attention to the relationship of behavior to antecedent context and interactions between Pavlovian and operant relations in applied behavior analysis procedures. We argue that adopting a modern view of Pavlovian conditioning should increase the analytic tools available to behavior analysts, and to the development of new and more effective treatment strategies in the domains of maintenance/generalization of behavior change and behavioral assessment.