Pavlov: Psychology Reaches for a Nobel [Part 2]

Psychology has however, through Ivan Pavlov, wedged its way into a share of the limelight. In 1904, Pavlov was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine (it's one category) with the motivation "in recognition of his work on the physiology of digestion, through which knowledge on vital aspects of the subject has been transformed and enlarged". Although he received the award for his physiological work, it was while investigating the digestive system that he made an important discovery for the science of psychology. [Read more about Ivan Pavlov and Classical Conditioning at http://www.sntp.net/behaviorism/pavlov.htm]

It was in 1904 that the Nobel Committee first saw a trace of a psychologist in the Concert Hall. Since then, only one other psychologist has stepped foot on the Concert Hall's podium: Daniel Kahneman. Kahneman, a psychologist studying mainly cognitive psychology, judgement and decision-making, and hedonic psychology, won the award for economics. That was in 2002, meaning that in 109 years, only two psychologists have been awarded the Nobel Prize. (The definition of psychologist is ambiguous, however, leaving many to hover between categories.)

Today, a Nobel Prize is not an award psychologists can realistically hope to receive, despite new, fundamental discoveries. There is no specific category in which to fit psychology, and therefore no one in the committee to search for these scientists. If this will change in the future, one cannot say, but Pavlov took the first step in that direction.