Lifespan Development

Edward L. Thorndike (1874-1949)

Edward L. Thorndike was born in Williamsburg, MA in 1874. He studied at Wesleyan University and Harvard, and became professor at Teachers College, Columbia (1904-40), where he worked on educational psychology and the psychology of animal learning. He did pioneer work not only in learning theory but also in education practices, verbal behavior, comparative psychology, intelligence testing and the application of quantitative measures to sociopsychological problems. His works include Psychology of Learning (1914) and The Measurement of Intelligence (1926).

Edward L. Thorndike's Theory

The learning theory of Thorndike represents the original S-R framework of behavioral psychology: Learning is the result of associations forming between stimuli and responses. Such associations or habits become strengthened or weakened by the nature and frequency of the S-R pairings. The standard for S-R theory was trial and error learning in which certain responses come to dominate others due to rewards. The theory suggests that transfer of learning depends upon the presence of identical elements in the original and new learning situations; i.e., transfer is always specific, never general. In later versions of the theory, the concept of belongingness was introduced; connections are more readily established if the person perceives that stimuli or responses go together (Gestalt principles). Another concept introduced was polarity which specifies that connections occur more easily in the direction in which they were originally formed than the opposite. Thorndike also introduced the spread of effect idea, which means that rewards affect not only the connection that produced them but temporally adjacent connections as well.

The classic example of Thorndike's S-R theory was a cat learning to escape from a puzzle box by pressing a lever inside the box. After much trial and error behavior, the cat learns to associate pressing the lever (S) with opening the door (R). This S-R connection is established because it results in a satisfying state of affairs (escape from the box). The law of exercise specifies that the connection was established because the S-R pairing occurred many times (the law of exercise) and was rewarded (law of effect) as well as forming a single sequence (law of readiness). As a result of studying animal intelligence, he formulated his famous "laws of learning".

Law of effect

This law states that the strength of a connection is influenced by the consequences of a response. Before 1930, Thorndike believed that pleasurable consequences strengthened a connection and annoying consequences weakened a connection. After 1930, however, he believed the only pleasurable consequences had an effect on the strength of a connection.

Law of exercise

This law states that the strength of a connection is determined by how often the connection is used. It contains two portions: law of use-the strength of a connection increases when the connection is used; law of disuse-the strength of a connection diminishes when the connection is not used.

Law of readiness

This stated that when an organism is ready to act it's reinforcing for it to do so and annoying for it to do so. Also, when an organism is not ready to act, forcing it to act will be annoying to it.

Spread of effect

Rewards affect not only the connection that produced them but temporally adjacent connections as well.

Applications to School Learning

Law Description Example

Multiple response or varied reaction A variety of responses often occurs initially to a stimulus Pronunciation of foreign language.

Skill in the sport of tennis.

Coherence in English composition.

Attitudes, dispositions, or states Condition of the learner that influences the learning; includes stable attitudes and temporary factors of the situation Individual competing to throw a ball the longest distance or throw a player out in a baseball game

Instructions for the problem: 7, 6, _ to add or to subtract.

Partial or piecemeal activity of a situation The tendency to respond to particular elements or features of a stimulus situation (also referred to as analytic learning) Responses to the qualities of shape, color, number, use and intent.

Responses to relations of space, time, and causation.

Assimilation