The primary contribution of I.P. Pavlov to the definition of fundamental terms in ABA: behavior, reinforcement, punishment, extinction

this article examines the contribution of Ivan Petrovitch Pavlov to the development of behavioral science, emphasizing his pivotal role in defining fundamental terms such as behavior, reinforcement, punishment, and extinction, which later became the cornerstone of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). The author demonstrates that Pavlov’s key ideas on the dependence of behavior on stimuli and their impact on the organism laid the foundation for subsequent research, including B.F. Skinner’s concept of operant conditioning. By analyzing Pavlov’s original works and their interpretations by his followers, the article argues that his discoveries established the terminological and methodological basis of behavioral science. The article advocates for a reevaluation of Pavlov’s role as the true founder of the discipline, whose ideas anticipated and shaped the further evolution of ABA.

Ivan Pavlov, B.F. Skinner, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), conditioned reflexes, reinforcement, punishment, extinction, behaviorism, operant conditioning, history of psychology