Chapter 4
Behavioral Learning Theories
? 4.1 Thorndike’s Connectionism
? 4.1.1 Edward Lee Thorndike:1874-1949,
American educational psychologist,
? 1891-1895,studied English literature in Wesleyan
University.
? 1895-1897,studied psychology in Harvard
Unviversity.(James)
? 1897-1898,studied in Columbia University,and
got his PH.D.(Kattel)
? 1912,became Chairman of APA.
Thorndike’s Connectionism
? 4.1.2 Major theoretical notions
? Thorndike called the association between sense
impressions and impulses to action a bond or a
connection,This marked the first formal attempt to
link sensory events to behavior,Earlier brands of
associationism attempted to show how ideas
became linked together; thus Thorndike's
approach is quite different and can be regarded as
the first modern theme,of learning,His emphasis
on the functional aspects of behavior is due mainly
to the influence of Darwin,In fact,Thorndike's
theory can be understood as a combination of
associationism,Darwinism,and the methods of
science.
Thorndike’s Connectionism
? Thorndike's concern was not only for stimulus
conditions and tendencies to action but also for
what held the stimulus and response together,
He believed they were connected by a neural
bond,His theory is called connectionism,the
connection referred to being the neural
connection between stimuli (S) and responses
(R).
Thorndike’s Connectionism
? 4.1.2 Major theoretical notions
? Experimental foundation:puzzle box
? a small confining box with a pole sticking up in the
middle or a chain hanging from its top,Pushing
against the pole or pulling on the chain enabled the
animal to escape,Some arrangements,however,
required the animal to engage in a complex series of
responses before it could escape,Different responses
were called for at different times inThorndike's
experiments,but the idea was always the same--the
animal had to perform in a certain way before it was
allowed to leave the box,
Thorndike’s Connectionism
? 4.1.2 Major theoretical notions
? ﹡ Learning is incremental,not insightful
? ﹡ Learning is not mediated by ideas
? ﹡ all mammals learn in the same manner
Thorndike’s Connectionism
? 4.1.3 Ideas before 1930
? The law of readiness
? The law of exercise
? The law of effect
Thorndike’s Connectionism
? 4.1.3 Ideas before 1930
? Secondary concepts before 1930
? Multiple response
? Set or attitude
? Prepotency of elements
? Response by analogy
? Associative shifting
Thorndike’s Connectionism
? 4.1.4 Ideas after 1930
? Revised law of exercise
? Revised law of effect
? Belongingness
? Spread of effect
Thorndike’s Connectionism
? 4.1.5 Thorndike on education
? 4.1.6 Evaluation of Thorndike’s theory
? Contribution
? criticism