Robert A. Rescorla (1940-2020).

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Animal Behavior
• Learning Theory

Background:

• Robert Rescorla (1940-2020) was a distinguished professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
• He was globally recognized as a preeminent scholar in the field of animal learning.
• Rescorla was also lauded as an exceptional educator.

Purpose of the Study:

• To memorialize the significant contributions of Robert Rescorla to the field of psychology.
• To highlight his expertise as an experimentalist in animal learning.
• To acknowledge the aesthetic quality and rigor of his experimental designs.

Main Methods:

• Conducted extensive empirical research, publishing nearly 200 articles.
• Focused on Pavlovian conditioning and instrumental learning.
• Employed multiple experiments with replications in his studies, including notable work on extinction.

Main Results:

• Developed highly aesthetic and rigorously designed experiments.
• Advanced the understanding of fundamental learning processes in animals.
• His later career focused on elegant studies of extinction.

Conclusions:

• Robert Rescorla's work profoundly impacted the study of animal learning.
• His experimental approach set a high standard for psychological research.
• His legacy includes significant advancements in understanding conditioning and extinction.