Trial and Error Theory of Learning describes how learning occurs through a process of trial and error. Edward Thorndike conducted experiments where hungry animals like cats, rats, and chickens were confined in puzzle boxes and had to perform random actions to escape and access food. Over successive trials of escaping the box, the animals made fewer errors and learned to directly connect the specific action of pulling a string or lever to escaping the box and receiving food. Thorndike concluded that learning happens gradually through a process of trials, errors, and strengthening the connection between a situation and correct response.

1. Trial and Error Theory of
Learning
Edward Lee Thorndike (1874-1949)

2.  Trial and error method of learning is simplest form of learning
 In trial and error method, the learner makes random activities
and finally reaches the goal accidently.
 It means trying one way to solve a problem and if get failed try
the other way round. Again and again keep trying until the
right solution of problem is not found.
 Experiments done on : chickens, rat & cats

4. The experiment
• A hungry cat was confined in a puzzle box and outside the box a dish of food was kept. The
cat, in the box had to pull a string to come out of the box. The cat in the box made several
random movements of jumping, dashing and running to get out of the box. The cat at last
succeeded in pulling the string. The door of the puzzle box opened, the cat came out and ate
the food. He promptly put the cat to next trial. The cat again gave a lot of frantic behaviour
but it soon succeeded in pulling the string. It repeated for several time, Thorndike noticed as
the repetition increases the error also reduced i.e., Thorndike's cat showed slow, gradual and
continuous improvement in performance over successive trials. He concluded that learning of
cat in the puzzle box can be explained in term of formation of direct connectionism between
stimulus and response.

6. Major steps
• Drive: hunger
• Goal: get the food by getting from the box
• Block: confined by a closed door
• Random movements: trials
• Chance success: by chance success
• Selection of proper movements: recognised the correct
way to manipulate the latch
• Fixation: learned the proper way to open the door.