[the_ad id=”476″]
In this article, you will read the major three laws propounded by Thorndike on his theory of connectionism. He reveals that the foundation of learning is the association between sense impressions and impulses to action. The implications of the theory are also discussed.
According to Thorndike, the fundamental of learning is the association between sense impressions and impulses to action (stimuli and responses). These associations become strengthened, or weakened by the nature and frequency of the stimuli-responses pairings.
This means that an organism will repeat the behaviour if it obtains a pleasant or satisfying stimulus after first demonstrating it. He therefore postulated that learning in an organism involves the act of selecting the most appropriate response and associating it with specific problems or stimuli. Thorndike then described this type of theory as learning by “trial and error” or “trial and success”.
Eventually, it succeeded in operating the mechanism, which paved way for its escape and obtaining the food. On the subsequent attempt, the random movement was reduced, and the cat concentrated much on the direction of the release mechanism until it was able to escape again. The help of the “release mechanism” made it possible for the cat to succeed in its escape, hence this type of learning is also known as “instrumental conditioning”.
In arriving at this theory, a cat was put in a puzzle box, with food outside it. The logic was that the cat has to escape before it could get the food. There was a release mechanism inside which the cat would operate before it could get outside. In the process, the cat made a series of effort to get outside.
In line with the experiment performed above, Thorndike came up with a set of laws which are believed to be responsible for learning in organisms. These are the laws of readiness, exercises and effect.
Thorndike believed that “any act that produces a satisfying effect will be repeated”. The principle of effect is that learning is strengthened when accompanied by an enjoyable or satisfying feeling and that learning is weakened when associated with an unpleasant feeling. The student will strive to continue doing what provides a pleasant effect to continue learning. Positive reinforcement is more apt to lead to success and motivate the learner, so the instructor should recognize and commend improvement.
Teachers’ Level of Understanding of Inclusive Education on Their Efficacy in the Inclusive Early Childhood… Read More
Staffing is a fundamental aspect of organizational management that plays a critical role in determining… Read More
Curriculum and Syllabus Most often people tend to equate the word “syllabus” with Curriculum”. This… Read More
This blog post aims to explore the perspectives of various religious traditions on the experience… Read More
There are so many types of curricula. Understanding the different types of curricula is important… Read More
Understanding Bicimal: A Comprehensive Guide In the ever-evolving world of mathematics and computing, new terms… Read More