PSY 181 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Edward Thorndike, Tabula Rasa, Connectionism

• School: University of Rochester
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 181
• Professor: C H R I S T O P H E R N I E M I E C

Document Summary

Edward thorndike: american psychologist who worked primarily with animals. Hungry cat placed in puzzle box (which has a door that can be lifted by pressing a lever). Fish placed outside puzzle box just out of reach of cat. Cat first behaves at random, scratching and reaching at fish. Cat accidentally pressed the lever and the door opened, so the cat could get out and eat the fish. After a series of reinforced behaviors (reinforced by the reward of the fish), the cat became more efficient at escaping the box (took less time to push the lever to open the door) Law of effect: behaviors that are followed by a satisfying outcome are stamped in (behavior becomes ingrained neural response) Behaviors that are followed by a negative outcome, or no outcome at all, are extinguished. Cat tried to get out of the puzzle box even when there was no food outside the box.