Dr. Mark Bouton is a distinguished scholar and preeminent authority in psychological science with a career spanning over four decades at the University of Vermont. He currently holds the prestigious titles of University Distinguished Professor and Robert B. Lawson Green and Gold Professor of Psychology Emeritus, recognizing his exceptional contributions to academic scholarship and teaching excellence. After completing his undergraduate studies in psychology at Williams College, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Washington under the mentorship of influential learning theorist Robert Bolles. Joining the University of Vermont faculty in 1980, Dr. Bouton has steadily ascended through academic ranks, achieving the university's highest honor as a University Distinguished Professor, a status limited to only ten scholars at the institution at any given time.
Dr. Bouton is internationally renowned for his seminal research on the contextual control of extinction and behavioral processes, establishing himself as the world's leading expert in this critical area of psychological science. His groundbreaking theoretical framework demonstrating that extinction represents new inhibitory learning rather than erasure has fundamentally reshaped understanding of behavior change and relapse phenomena across multiple disciplines. With over 27,000 citations to his extensive publication record, his work has provided the scientific foundation for understanding why behavior change is often context-dependent and vulnerable to lapse and relapse. His research, continuously funded by the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health since 1981, has significant translational implications for treating anxiety disorders, drug dependence, and eating disorders through evidence-based therapeutic approaches.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Bouton has profoundly influenced psychological science through his leadership as editor of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes from 1998 to 2003 and his numerous review papers that have bridged basic behavioral science with clinical applications. Recognized with the prestigious Gantt Medal by the Pavlovian Society in 2010 and elected as a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, American Psychological Society, and Society of Experimental Psychologists, his scholarly impact extends globally through his widely adopted textbook Learning and Behavior: A Contemporary Synthesis. His collaborative work with colleagues in neuroscience has advanced understanding of the brain processes underlying behavioral effects, creating productive interdisciplinary connections between psychological science and neurobiology. As an emeritus professor, Dr. Bouton continues to contribute to the field through writing, mentoring, and scholarly activities that maintain his position as a leading authority on learning, memory, and behavior change.
