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Thorndike

Edward Thorndike developed the theory of connectionism which states that learning occurs through the strengthening of connections between stimuli and responses. He believed that animals and humans form bonds between situations and responses through a process of trial and error. Thorndike conducted experiments using puzzle boxes to demonstrate that animals learn to complete tasks faster through repeated experiences of receiving rewards for certain behaviors. His laws of learning, including the law of effect, law of exercise, and law of readiness, helped explain how connections are formed and strengthened during learning.

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342 views31 pages

Thorndike

Edward Thorndike developed the theory of connectionism which states that learning occurs through the strengthening of connections between stimuli and responses. He believed that animals and humans form bonds between situations and responses through a process of trial and error. Thorndike conducted experiments using puzzle boxes to demonstrate that animals learn to complete tasks faster through repeated experiences of receiving rewards for certain behaviors. His laws of learning, including the law of effect, law of exercise, and law of readiness, helped explain how connections are formed and strengthened during learning.

Uploaded by

Mark Jayson Reyes
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Thorndike’s

Connectionism
Theory
Edward Lee Thorndike
(31 August 1874 - 9 August
1949)
was an American psychologist,
who developed learning theory
that lead to the development of
operant conditioning within
behaviorism.
Edward Lee Thorndike
work on animal behavior and the learning
process led to the theory of connectionism,
which states that behavioral responses to
specific stimuli are established through a
process of trial and error that affects neural
connections between the stimuli and the most
satisfying responses.
Connectionism
is a learning theory which is based on the
concept of bonds formed between stimulus
and response i.e., natural connections
between Situations (S) and Responses (R) are
formed and strengthened. The stimulus
affects the organism which responds to it.
Connectionism
This theory of learning is related to
conditioning that utilizes the concept of
association of connection. It emphasizes that
the behavior begins with conditioned reflexes
and natural responses and new behaviors
result from the acquisition of new bonds
through experience
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box
One of Thorndike major contributions to the study
of psychology was his work with animals. He
believed that learning occurred through trial and
error. The animal made many responses, many of
them were wrong and ineffective and eventually
learned to repeat those that got desirable results.
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box
Thorndike felt that the learning was a matter
of creating associations between stimuli and
response and no speculation about mind was
necessary or useful. Through long, extensive
research with these animals, he constructed
device called puzzle box.
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box
✣ This created a link between stimulus (cage) and,
a response (stepping on switch or pulling the
lever). Later, in the same stimulus situation, that
response occurred faster.
✣ He produced a graph called a "learning curve"
showing the number of seconds the animal took
to escape on each trial.
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box
Thorndike explained learning with his “law
of effect”. Animals tended to repeat a
behavior that resulted in a pleasing effect.
Behavior was varied during a trial and error
phase. Thorndike believed that the animal
stumbled upon a behavior that produced a
desirable effect.
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box
Intelligence is the ability to form connections
and humans are the most evolved animal
because they form more connections than
any other being.
Thorndike’s Laws
Thorndike presented the theory on laws of
learning on the basis of his belief in
connectionism. These laws are originally the
outgrowth of experiments in the field of
animal psychology. He first presented his
theory in his book Animal Learning
published in 1898.
Thorndike’s Laws

The three major laws are:


✣Law of Readiness
✣Law of Exercise
✣Law of Effect
Law of Effect
The meaning of the law of effect is the effect
of learning. The trial or steps leading to
satisfaction stamps in the bond or
connection. Satisfying states lead to
consolidation and strengthening of
connection, whereas dissatisfaction
annoyance or pain lead to the weakening or
stamping out of the connection.
Law of Effect
Success brings with it satisfaction and along
with it a strengthening of the relation of the
experiences. Failure increases dissatisfaction
and the absence of the relation among the
experiences Weakens them.
Law of Effect
The success can be compared to reward and
failure to punishment. And the desire to
repeat Success or avoid failure as the
inevitable antecedents
Law of Exercise
The second important law has two aspects. It
is based on law of use and disuse.
The law of use states, “When a modifiable
connection is made between a situation and a
response, that connection’s strength is being
increased”.
Law of Exercise
Similarly, the law of disuse states, “when a
modifiable connection is not made between a
situation and response over a length of time,
the connection’s strength is decreased.”
Law of Exercise
According to Thorndike’s S-R bond theory, the
connections are strengthened with trial and
practice. Whenever, there is an appropriate
situation, the activity which is firmly entrenched,
might take place. It is the experience that
whenever any action is repeated, it becomes easy
and prompts. Learning and relearning helps in
mastering the activity.
Law of Exercise
Repetitions of activities fix knowledge and
skills to be learned. Practice makes it perfect.
Lack of practice weakens memory and skills.
It may be said that longer is the period of
disuse, greater is the loss of memory and
weakening of skills.
Law of Readiness
“When a bond is ready to act, act gives
satisfaction and not to act gives annoyance.”
If a person is ready to learn, he/she can learn
quickly.
Law of Readiness
The law of readiness describes those
situations in which the person, who learns
either invites the object of his/her learning or
rejects it. Readiness means a preparation of
action. If a person is not prepared to learn,
then learning cannot be instilled in him/her.
Subordinate Laws
Other five subordinate laws were also
mentioned by Thorndike in relation to the
three major ones. The five subordinate laws
are
Law of Multiple Response
A person varies or changes his/her response till an
appropriate behavior is succeeded. A person solves
a problem with his instinctive and learned
behavior. There are multiple responses in the
behavior, which guide person in achieving success
and making learning possible. The learner reaches
the solution by variation in the response.
The Law of Set or Attitude
Learning is conditioned or guided by the attitude
or set of the person which determines not only
what the person will do, but what will satisfy or
annoy the person. The response of a person is
dependent upon his/her attitude towards the
situation. Learning is affected more in the
individual if he/she is set to learn more or to excel.
Prepotency of Elements
Proponent elements are present in the
problem. The person or learner gets greater
success, if he or she bases his/her responses
on these elements and this depends on the
insight and capability of the person.
Prepotency of Elements
The person reacts selectively to the
important or essential features in the
situation and neglects the other features or
elements which may be irrelevant or non-
essential.
Law of Response by Analogy
The person uses old experiences in responding to a
situation. A person will respond in a manner
similar to the one in which he/she has behaved
previously, if he/she finds some similarity between
the situations.
Law of Associative Shifting
The response of person/learner shifts in respect to
the basic or associative stimulus. The learner’s
response is shifted from one stimulus to another.
Thank You!!!

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