As Pavlov 's work became known in the West , particularly through the writings of John B. Watson , the idea of `` conditioning '' as an automatic form of learning became a key concept in the developing specialism of comparative psychology , and the general approach to psychology called behaviourism . As Pavlov 's work became known in the West , particularly through the writings of John B. Watson , the idea of `` conditioning '' as an automatic form of learning became a key concept in the developing specialism of comparative psychology , and the general approach to psychology that underlay it , behaviorism .