PSYCH 2GG3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Contiguity, American Psychological Association, Edward Thorndike
Document Summary
Earned his phd in psychology at columbia university. He tried to establish, through experimentation, that animals learn through a gradual process of trial and error that eventually leads to the stamping in of the correct response: stamping out" undesireable behaviors. Thorndike wrote extensively, publishing more than 78 books and in excess of 400 articles. Served as president of the american psychological association (apa) Wanted to know that if you take an individual and give them a puzzle, humans have methodical thought when trying to figure out what the solution will be: wants to know if animals do the same. Subsequently, a connection is formed between the response and the situation. This connection is learned, or stamped in as thorndike puts it. Reinforcement: if consequences of actions are pleasurable, more likely to repeat behaviors in the future (get them to be stamped in")
