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EDWARD L. THORNDIKECONNECTIONISM THEORY

+Edward L. Thorndike

Main principle: Learning could be adequately explained without considering any unobservable traits.

One of the first pioneers of ACTIVE LEARNING, a theory that proposes letting children learn themselves rather than receiving instruction from teachers.

The most basic form of learning is TRIAL and ERROR.

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Put more emphasis on the response of organism not limiting himself to the association between the stimulus and the response.

Learning has taken place when a strong connection or bond between stimulus and response is formed.

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+Thorndike’s Experiment

Thorndike place cat in boxes from which they had to escape to get food.

After much trial and error, the cat learned to associate pressing the lever (Stimulus) with the opening of the door (response). The cat tend to repeat the behavior that led to escape and not to repeat the behaviors that were ineffective. This stimulus-response connection is established. HOW? Because it results in a satisfying state of affairs (escape from the box)

+Three primary laws1. Law of Effect. • Stated that a connection between a stimulus

and response is strengthened when the consequences is positive (reward) and the connection between the stimulus and the response is weakened when the consequence is negative.

• Learning will always be much more effective when a feeling of satisfaction, pleasantness, or reward accompanied in learning process.

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Students learn if they are being rewarded, self-satisfied through positive reinforcement.

Ex: Student change in behavior through

punishment.Ex:

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Revision:

He found out that negative reward, (punishment) did not necessarily weaken bonds, and that some seemingly pleasurable consequences do not necessarily motivate performance.

+2. Law of Exercise• Stated the more an S-R bond is practiced the

stronger it will become• “Practice makes perfect”• We learn by doing. We forget by not doing.• S-R connections that are repeated are

strengthened. • S-R connections that are not use are

weakened.

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Stresses the idea that repetition is basic to the development of adequate responses.

Things most often repeated are easily remembered.

The mind can rarely recall new concepts after a single exposure, but every time it is repeated, practiced, learning learning continues and is enforced.

+Repetitive Activities:

RRRManual drill or physical application

+REMEMBER:

Practice makes _________, not _______ UNLESS the task is taught correctly.

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Revision:• Practice without feedback does not

necessarily mean enhance performance• Practice alone is not enough for

improvement.

+3. Law of Readiness• It states that, the more readiness the learner

has to respond to the stimulus, the stronger will be bond between them

• When the person is ready to respond to a stimulus and is not made to respond, it becomes annoying to the person.

• The learner should be biologically prepared.• One learns only when he is physically and

mentally ready for it.

+Principles

a. When someone is ready to perform some act, to do so is satisfying.

b. When someone is ready to perform some act, not to do so is annoying.

c. When someone is not ready to perform some act and is forced to do so, it is annoying.

+Principles Derived from Thorndike’s Connectionism Learning requires both practice and rewards

(effect/exercise) A series of S-R connections can be chained

together if they belong to the same action sequence (readiness)

Transfer of learning occurs because of previously encountered situations.

Intelligence is a function of the number of connections learned

+Relationship between the Law of effect and the Law of Exercise Law of Exercise operates only in conjunction

with the Law of Effect. Practice alone is not enough for improvement of skills/behaviors.

Example A. Child is practicing/ learning how to dance

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Example B. Raising of hands during Recitation/answering during recitation.

Students practice of raising of hands (Law of exercise) during recitation is likely to weaken if he is not given an opportunity to answer even once.

+Implication to Education

Students are more likely to learn if they are ready and it brings better results in learning.

Students are likely experienced being ready to demonstrate and not given a chance to do it. Disappointment will result to Reluctance in learning in the students part.

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Learning among students is not possible if they are forced to do so. They will just hate learning if force and authority will be applied. Many students will soon get disinterested in earning, because they are force to learn, when they are not physically and mentally ready for it.

+Major contributions

• Edward Thorndike published about 500 books and articles as learning in fish, methods of statistical analysis and the elements of aesthetic quality in urban life.

• He studied animal intelligence... known for his 'cats in a puzzle box' experiments on Trial and Error.

• He applied animal to human educational experience; he was once the leader in this field.