Overview
Edward L. Thorndike proposed that learning is a gradual strengthening of stimulus–response connections when responses produce satisfying results—connectionism.
📌 At a glance
- Theorist
- Edward L. Thorndike
- Experiment
- Puzzle box (1898)
- Key law
- Law of effect
- Related
- Behaviorism, Operant conditioning
Puzzle box
Hungry cats escaped a box by pulling a loop; escape times fell gradually, suggesting incremental learning rather than insight.
Three laws
| Law | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Effect | Satisfying consequences strengthen responses |
| Exercise | Use strengthens connections; disuse weakens them |
| Readiness | Acting when ready satisfies; being forced annoys |
Thorndike revised himself in 1932. He weakened the law of exercise and concluded punishment weakens responses less than reward strengthens them.
Comparison
Pavlov studied reflexes (classical conditioning); Skinner built reinforcement on the law of effect. Köhler argued for insight learning.
Implications
Prompt positive feedback, meaningful practice and attention to readiness.
Frequently asked questions
- Trial-and-error vs insight?
- Gradual versus sudden restructuring.
- Law of effect and reinforcement?
- The former is the precursor of the latter.
- What changed in 1932?
- Exercise was downgraded; punishment’s effect reduced.
References
- Thorndike, E. L. (1898). Animal intelligence: An experimental study of the associative processes in animals. Psychological Review: Monograph Supplements, 2(4), i–109.
- Thorndike, E. L. (1911). Animal intelligence: Experimental studies. New York: Macmillan.
- Thorndike, E. L. (1932). The fundamentals of learning. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University.