The famous psyhologist Edward L. Thorndike (1874-1949) was the initiator of the theory of trial and error learning based on the findings of his experiments on chickens, rats and cats.
In one of his experiments, for instance, he put a hungry cat in a puzzzle box. There was only one door which could be opened by correctly manipulating a latch. A fish was placed outside the box. The smell of the fish acted as a strong motive for the hungry cat to come out of the box. The situation is described by Thorrndike himself as:
"It tries to squeeze through every opening; it claws and bites at the bars or wires, it thrusts its paws through any opening and claws at everything it reaches". In this way, it made a number of random movements and in one of the random movements, the latch was manipulated acccidentally. The cat came out and got its reward.
In another trial, the proceess was repeated. The cat was kept hungry and placed in the same puzzle box; it again made random movements and frantic efforts. But this time, it took less time to come out. In subsequent trials such incorrect responses, biting, clawing and dashing were gradually reduced and the cat took less time on each succeding trial. In due course, it was in a position to manipulate the latch as soon as it was put in the box. In this way, gradually, the cat learned the art of opening the door.
The experiment sums up the following stages in the process of learning:
Thorndike's laws of learning:
Thorndike propounded the following laws of learning on the basis of his theoretical notions about the learning process.
In one of his experiments, for instance, he put a hungry cat in a puzzzle box. There was only one door which could be opened by correctly manipulating a latch. A fish was placed outside the box. The smell of the fish acted as a strong motive for the hungry cat to come out of the box. The situation is described by Thorrndike himself as:
"It tries to squeeze through every opening; it claws and bites at the bars or wires, it thrusts its paws through any opening and claws at everything it reaches". In this way, it made a number of random movements and in one of the random movements, the latch was manipulated acccidentally. The cat came out and got its reward.
In another trial, the proceess was repeated. The cat was kept hungry and placed in the same puzzle box; it again made random movements and frantic efforts. But this time, it took less time to come out. In subsequent trials such incorrect responses, biting, clawing and dashing were gradually reduced and the cat took less time on each succeding trial. In due course, it was in a position to manipulate the latch as soon as it was put in the box. In this way, gradually, the cat learned the art of opening the door.
The experiment sums up the following stages in the process of learning:
- Drive. In the present experiment it was hunger and was intensified by the sight of the food.
- Goal. To get at the food by getting out of the box.
- Block. The cat was confined in the box with a closed door.
- Random movements. The cat persistently tried to come out of the box without knowing how.
- Chance success. As a result of this striving and random movements the cat, by chance, succeeded in opening the door.
- Selection (of proper movement). Gradually, the cat recognised the correct way to manipulating the latch out of its random movements.
- Fixation. At last, the cat learned the proper way to open the door by eliminating all the incorrect responses and fixing only the right response. Now it was able to open the door without any error or in other words, learned the correct way of opening the door.
Based upon the experiments mentioned above the major theoretical principles which form the basis of Thorndike's theory of learning aresummarized in the discussion which follow.
- Learning involves trial and error or selection and connection.
- Learning is the result of the formation of connections.
- Learning is incremental, not insightful
- Learning is direct, not medicated by ideas.
Thorndike propounded the following laws of learning on the basis of his theoretical notions about the learning process.
- The law of readiness.
- The law of effect
- The law of exercise
Thorndike's contribution in the field of learning:
- If one wants to learn something, one should prepare oneself for it by first understanding fully its importance. An instructor or a teacher, on the other hand, in order to teach effectively, must try to prepare the learner by bringing the mehanism of motivation into play.
- Whatever we want to learn or teach, we must first identity the aspects which are to be remembered and those which may be forgotten. After this, we may try to strengthen links or connections should be weakened through disuse andd unpleasant results.
- What is being taught or learnt at any one time should be linked with the past experiences and learning on the one hand and with the future learning on the other, in order to benefit from the mechanism of association, connection or bonds in the process of learning.
- The learner should try to see the similarities and dissimilarities between the different kinds of responses to stimuli and by comparison and contrast try to apply the learning from one situation to another similar situatuions.
- The learner should be encouraged to do his task independently. He must try various solutions of the problem before arriving at the corrrect one. But in every case he should be careful not to waste his time and energy by proceeding blindly and repeating his mistakes.
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