Prepared by: Maria Angela L. DiopolMP-SP

Edward Lee ThorndikeConnectionism Theory

Born: August 31, 1874Died: August 9, 1949

1895 – Animal Learning under William James

1898 – PhD in Columbia University- Asst. Professor at Case Western Reserve University

1900 - Married Elizabeth- Psychology Professor at

Teacher’s College, Columbia University

1912 - President of the American Psychological Association

1917 - admitted to National Academy of Sciences

1949 - Retirement at Teachers’ College

Edward Lee “Ted” Thorndike

Definition of Psychology

•Psychology was first and foremost the study of stimulus-response

connections or bonds

THORNDIKE’S LAWS OF LEARNING

Trial-And-Error Learning

•Based on random activities to reach the goal

Law of Readiness

•States that when an organism is ready to act it is reinforcing for it to do so, and annoying for it not

to do so.

Law of Exercise

•States that the strength of a connection is

determined by how often the connection is used.

Modification of the Law of Exercise

• Practice worked only when other factors could be made effective.

Law of Effect

•The strengthening or weakening of a connection by its

consequences.

Modification of the Law of Effect

•Satisfaction strengthen the connection but annoyance does not weaken it;

rather, annoyance aids learning as it encourages the learner to try

something new.

The Spread of Effect

•The observation is that reinforcement not only strengthens the response

that produces it, but that it strengthens neighboring responses as

well.

Theory of Transfer

•States that the likelihood of something which was learned in one situation being applied in a different situation is determined

by the number of common elements in the two situations.

• Faculty Psychology

1. Drive2. Goal3. Block4. Random

movements5. Chance

Success6. Selection7. Fixation

1.Abstract Intelligence

2. Social Intelligence

3. Mechanical Intelligence

• Doctrine of Formal Discipline

• Stages in the Process of Learning

• 3 Types of Intelligence

Education