Robert Boakes

Robert Boakes is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology in the School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, at the University of Sydney. He previously held the McCaughey Chair of Psychology from 1992 to 2005. Boakes obtained his Bachelor of Arts with honours in Natural Sciences, specializing in Psychology, from the University of Cambridge in 1963. He then pursued his PhD in Psychology at Harvard University, completing it in 1967 with the support of a Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship. His early career was at the University of Sussex, starting as an Assistant Lecturer in 1966-1967, advancing to Lecturer until 1986, and then Reader in Experimental Psychology from 1986 to 1989. In 1989, he moved to Australia, becoming Professor of Psychology at the University of Sydney, a position that evolved into the McCaughey Chair.

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.

Professional Email: bob.boakes@sydney.edu.au