Toward a Modern View of Pavlovian Conditioning in Applied Behavior Analysis
Pavlovian processes are already embedded in your operant procedures—explicitly plan for them to boost maintenance and generalization.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lewon et al. (2026) wrote a think piece. They asked: why do we still treat Pavlovian and operant work as separate tool boxes?
The authors map where Pavlovian processes already hide inside everyday ABA. They argue we should name and plan for these links.
What they found
The paper does not give new data. It gives a new lens. The lens shows that respondent relations ride along with every reinforcer delivery.
When you pair a token board with candy, the board becomes a conditioned reinforcer. That pairing is Pavlovian. Calling it out lets you protect the link and speed generalization.
How this fits with other research
Madden et al. (2023) supply six concrete rules for building conditioned reinforcers. Their rules turn the 2026 call into a how-to manual.
Bickel et al. (1991) showed the same overlap with pigeons. Pavlovian cues controlled peck rates just like operant discriminative stimuli. The lab data foreshadows the 2026 plea to stop drawing a bright line.
Critchfield (2018) also pushes graduate programs to add missing analytic tools. He wants stimulus relations; Lewon wants Pavlovian links. Both say wider tool kits make smarter BCBAs.
Why it matters
Next time you run DTT, script the pairing phase. Deliver the edible and the praise at the same instant. Watch the praise become a reinforcer without extra work. Plan the pairing, measure its strength, and you will see cleaner maintenance when you fade food later.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Abstract The characterization of Pavlovian conditioning in behavior analysis is outdated.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.
Perspectives on Behavior Science, 2026 · doi:10.1007/s40614-026-00494-4