TRIAL AND ERROR
LEARNING
[Link]
TRIAL AND ERROR LEARNING
•Edward Lee Thorndike (1874–1949) was an influential
American Psychologist who is best known for his work
on learning theory and the development of the "Law
of Effect."
•Thorndike's research laid the groundwork for much of
modern behaviorist psychology, particularly in the
area of operant conditioning.
E.L. THORNDIKE
(1874 – 1949)
KEY CONCEPTS
1. Random Attempts:
o The individual makes random attempts or guesses to solve a problem.
o These attempts may or may not be related to previous efforts.
2. Errors and Feedback:
o Unsuccessful attempts (errors) provide feedback to the individual.
o Feedback helps in modifying future attempts, either by avoiding certain actions or by refining them.
3. Repetition:
o The process involves repeating different strategies until the correct solution is found.
o Success reinforces the correct behavior or strategy, making it more likely to be used in the future.
4. Learning Through Experience:
o Over time, the individual learns from both successes and failures.
o The learning is gradual, and the most effective solutions are discovered through persistence.
Edward Thorndike’s Puzzle Box
Experiment
Objective:
To study how animals learn and whether they
use insight or trial and error to solve problems.
Setup:
•Thorndike placed a hungry cat inside a puzzle
box with food visible outside.
•The box had a simple mechanism (like a lever or
a string) that the cat could manipulate to open
the door and get to the food.
EXPERIMENT
PROCEDURE:
[Link] Attempts: The cat initially engaged in random behaviors—scratching, biting, or pushing different parts
of the box.
[Link] Success: By chance, the cat would eventually hit the lever or pull the string that opened the box.
[Link] Trials: Thorndike placed the cat back in the box multiple times. Each time, the cat took less time to
escape, as it gradually learned which actions led to the door opening.
CONCLUSION:
•Law of Effect: Thorndike proposed the "Law of Effect," stating that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes
(like getting the food) are more likely to be repeated, while those followed by discomfort (failing to escape) are
less likely to be repeated.
•Gradual Learning: The cat learned the solution through a gradual process of trial and error, not through sudden
insight.
THORNDIKE’S LAWS OF LEARNING
PRIMARY LAWS SECONDARY LAWS
oLaw of Readiness oLaw of Primacy
oLaw of Exercise oLaw of Recency
oLaw of Effect oLaw of Intensity
oLaw of Association
PRIMARY LAWS OF LEARNING
PRIMARY LAWS
1. LAW OF READINESS:
Learning is more effective when the child have both physical and mental readiness.
Eg: A three months old cannot learn to write because the child is not physically ready. Similarly, a fifth-grade child
cannot learn Philosophy or Psychology because the child is not mentally ready.
Other Name: Law of Maturation.
2. LAW OF EXERCISE:
Exercise refers to ‘Practice’ or rehearsal or using often. If the learned material is exercised or practiced, it is in our
memory. If it is not, it will result in forgetting.
Other Name : Law of Use or Disuse.
3. LAW OF EFFECT:
The behaviour is strengthened based on its consequences (Reward or Punishment).
Other Name: Law of Reward or Punishment.
Law of Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction.
SECONDARY LAWS
1. LAW OF PRIMACY:
The information learned in the beginning can be recalled better because we devote more time and
attention in the beginning.
2. LAW OF RECENCY:
The recently learned information can be recalled better than the old information.
3. LAW OF INTENSITY:
More the intense and natural the learning information, more the effective learning and better
memory.
4. LAW OF ASSOCIATION:
Learning is easier when relationships or meaning are observed in the material being learned.
INSIGHT LEARNING
WOLFGANG KOHLER
INSIGHT LEARNING
Insight learning is a cognitive theory of learning that was
developed by German Psychologist Wolfgang Kohler in the
1920s.
The theory is based on the idea that people can learn by
understanding a situation as a whole, rather than relying on
rewards, consequences, trial and error, or observing others.
Insight learning involves a sudden realization of a problem's
solution, often through intuition, and can help people solve WOLFGANG KOHLER
future problems more easily. 1887- 1967
INSIGHT LEARNING
Kohler adapted his insight learning theory
from his previous research on Gestalt theory,
which is based on the idea that patterns and
wholes are important in life.
The theory is also known as Gestalt theory,
and the word "Gestalt" means "whole" or
"patterns" in German.
STEPS IN INSIGHT LEARNING
1. PREPARATION
Problem Identification: Recognizing and understanding the problem that needs solving.
Data Gathering: Collecting information and resources relevant to the problem.
Initial Attempt: Trying out possible solutions based on previous experiences or knowledge.
2. INCUBATION
Stepping Back: After initial attempts fail, the individual often steps away from the problem,
allowing the subconscious mind to process information without active effort.
Mental Reorganization: During this period, the mind reorganizes and makes connections
between different pieces of information.
STEPS IN INSIGHT LEARNING
3. INSIGHT
Sudden Realization: The "aha" moment occurs, where the solution or the correct approach
suddenly becomes clear.
Understanding the Relationship: The individual comprehends how various elements of the
problem relate to each other and the correct solution.
4. VERIFICATION
Testing the Solution: The individual tests the insight or solution to see if it works in practice.
Confirmation: If the solution is successful, it is confirmed and can be applied to similar
problems in the future.
EXPERIMENT
Objective:
To observe whether chimpanzees could demonstrate insight
learning by solving a problem that required a novel solution.
Setup:
•Köhler placed a banana outside the reach of a chimpanzee
named Sultan. The banana was hung from the ceiling of a
cage, just out of the chimp's reach.
•In the cage, there were several items, including boxes and
sticks of varying lengths, but no single object that would
directly allow the chimp to reach the banana.
EXPERIMENT
[Link] Attempts: Sultan initially tried to reach the banana by jumping and stretching but was
unsuccessful.
[Link] Period: After several failed attempts, Sultan appeared to stop trying and sat quietly,
seemingly taking a break from the problem.
[Link]: After a period of reflection, Sultan suddenly used a short stick to retrieve a longer stick
placed outside the cage. He then used the longer stick to knock down the banana.
[Link] Implementation: Sultan successfully used the tools available to solve the problem by
combining them in a novel way, which had not been demonstrated or taught to him.
Conclusion:
Köhler concluded that Sultan’s behavior demonstrated insight learning rather than trial-and-error
learning. The chimpanzee did not solve the problem through repetitive, random attempts but
through a sudden realization or insight into how to use the tools available to achieve his goal.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Insight Learning: The experiment highlighted
the ability of animals (and by extension,
humans) to solve problems through sudden
insight rather than just through trial and error.
Cognitive Processes: Köhler's work suggested
that cognitive processes like perception,
memory, and reasoning are involved in
problem-solving, not just conditioning or
reinforcement.