PSYC 352 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: George Romanes, Edward Thorndike, Classical Conditioning
Document Summary
Both involve a stimulus and response, but the order varies. Classical conditioning relies on reflexes or automatic responses to stimuli. Operant conditioning relies on a reinforcer or punisher to increase or decrease a behavior. The response operates on the environment to produce consequences and the consequences influence future behavior. Anecdotes of insightful animals were prevalent and taken for fact. George john romanes- anthromorphized the mental processes of animals. In other words, he suggested that the mental processes of an animals and humans were analogous. Edward thorndike- was against this idea of anecdotal evidence of intelligence. From the study of cats in puzzle boxes, thorndike proposed the law of effect: Behaviors leading to satisfying states are stamped in or strengthened. Behaviors leading to unsatisfying or annoying states are stamped out or weakened. Note, this law addressed the state of feeling arising from the consequences of a behavior. Typically seen as a response in classical conditioning.
