The concept of  "chain reflex” refers to a series of consecutive responses in which each response serves as a stimulus that evokes the next response.  The term was coined and introduced in 1899 by Jacques  Loeb (Loeb 1899, 1900). The concept was based on findings in research in  physiology and psychology. In 1906, Charles Sherrington demonstrated that all elementary motor activities of  animals are based on "chain rexlexes” (Sherrington 1906). The concept of ”chain reflex” was extended by Ivan Petrovich Pavlov to incude conditional reflex chains  (Pavlov 1927).

Loeb J. Einleitung in die vergleichende Hirnphysiologie und vergleichende Psychologie. Leipzig: Barth; 1899.

Loeb J. Comparative physiology of the brain and comparative psychology. New York: Putnam; 1900.

Pavlov IP. Conditional Reflexes (Translated from the Russian original into English by G.V. Anrep). Oxford University Press, Oxford; 1927

Sherrington CS. The Integrative Action of the Nervous System. New Haven: Yale University Press; 1906.

Joseph Knoll
October 22, 2015