Edward Thorndike was an American psychologist who developed Connectionism, which theorized that learning is based on forming associations between stimuli and responses through trial and error. Some of his key contributions included establishing laws of learning like the Law of Effect, which stated that responses connected to satisfying outcomes are strengthened, while those connected to annoying outcomes are weakened. Thorndike conducted experiments with animals like chicks and cats to understand learning through their trial-and-error behaviors. He published over 500 works and helped establish psychology as a science through his emphasis on experimental methods.

1. EDWARD
THORNDIKE
CONNECTIONISM

2. ● Thorndike was born in Williamsburg,
Massachusetts on Aug. 31, 1874.
● Read William James’s “Principles of
Psychology”. Worked with James and Cattell.
● From chicks to cats.
● Animal Intelligence: An Experimental Study
of the Associative Process in Animals (1898)
Animal Intelligence (1911).
● 507 books, monographs, and journal articles.

20. Connection between Stimuli (S) and Responses (R)
Connectionism
01

21. Trial-and-error learning
Selecting and Connecting
02

22. 11 13

23. Learning Is
Incremental
Not Insightful
03

24. Learning
is Not Mediated
by Ideas
04

25. All Mammals Learn
in the Same
Manner
05
S-R

26. Before and after 1930
● When someone is ready to perform some act, to do so is satisfying.
● When someone is ready to perform some act, not to do so is
annoying.
● When someone is not ready to perform some act and is forced to do
so, it is annoying.
The Law of Readiness
01
The Law of Learning

27. Law of use & Law of disuse.
The Law of Exercise
02
Before and after 1930
The Law of Learning
Inaccurate
- Practice led to minor
improvement.

28. Response → satisfying state of affairs
= connection is increased
Response → an annoying state of affairs
= connection is decreased
The Law of Effect
03
Before and after 1930
The Law of Learning
Punishment does nothing to the
strength of a connection

30. THANK YOU