Rate My Professor Robert Boakes

Boakes' research has centered on learning theory, particularly associative learning in animals, flavour-nutrient conditioning, and the psychobiology of eating behaviours. He founded the Australian Learning Group upon his arrival in Sydney. Even after formal retirement in 2006, when he was honoured with Emeritus status by the University Senate, he continued to contribute unpaid by giving annual lectures in the Learning and Behaviour unit and supervising honours and PhD students until 2024. His scholarly impact is evident in influential publications. Notable books include From Darwin to Behaviourism: Psychology and the Minds of Animals (1984), which explores the historical development of animal psychology; Pavlov's Legacy: How and What Animals Learn (2023); and co-edited volumes such as Inhibition and Learning (1972), Mechanisms of Learning and Motivation (1979), and Eating Habits (1987). Key journal articles encompass "Changes in odour sweetness resulting from implicit learning" (1998, with R.J. Stevenson and J. Prescott), "A mnemonic theory of odor perception" (2003, with R.J. Stevenson), "Motivational control after extended instrumental training" (1995, with A. Dickinson et al.), and recent works on sucrose solution effects and temporal contiguity in learning (2013-2014). Boakes' work has advanced understandings of learning mechanisms, sensory associations, and dietary influences on behaviour.