（心理学百科笔记）桑代克的迷宫实验
EARLY STUDY
1885 In his book On Memory, Hermann Ebbinghaus describes the "forgetting curve" - the rate at which human memories fade.
1890s Ivan Pavlov establishes the principle of classical conditioning.
CONNECTION - EDWARD THORNDIKE
Learning environments - the mazes and the puzzle boxes
Thorndike' first studies: chicks learn to negotiate mazes that he designed and built for experiments. The use of specially created environment in which a subject is given specific stimuli or tasks, now known as "instrumental learning".
Cats - Thorndike invented a series of "puzzle boxes", locked several different cats inside them and observe their ability to learn mechanisms for escape.
Two Laws: Law of Effect and Law of Excercise
As a result of experiments, Thorndike proposed his Law of Effect, which states that a response to a situation that results in a satisfying outcome is more likely to occur again in the future; and conversely, unsatisfying outcome, less likely.
He proposed that it is the outcome of an action that determines how strongly or weekly the stimulus-response connection is stamped in.
The idea that the outcome could work back to strengthen the stimulus-response connection, is an example of what would later be called a reinforcement theory of learning. It was ignored by psychologists such as John B. Watson, but the Law of Effect brilliantly anticipated the work of B.F. Skinner and his theory of "operant conditioning".
Thorndike later derived his Law of Exercise, which states that stimulus-response connections that are repeated are strengthened, while those that are not used again are weakened.
The Law of Effect, forms the foundation of all behaviourist psychology. He demonstrated that animals learn by forging links between actions and results, remembering more positive outcomes and forgetting negative ones.
Human Intelligence
Thorndike devised his CAVD (Completion, Arithmetic, Vocabulary and Directions) test. It became the model for all modern intelligence tests, and assessed mechanical intelligence (understanding of how things work), as well as abstract intelligence (creative ability) and social intelligence (interpersonal skills).
Adult learners were once thought to be less capable of retaining information than children. Thorndike showed that the only significant difference was in speed of learning, not memory.
FURTHER STUDY
1918 John B. Watson's "Little Albert" experiments apply conditioning to a human baby.
1923 English psychologist Charles Spearman proposes a single general factor - the "g factor" - in measurements of human intelligence.
1930s B.F. Skinner develops a theory of conditioning from consequences - "operant conditioning".
代表人物**EWARD THORNDIKE**
Son of a Methodist minister, born in Massachusetts, USA.
1895, graduated in sciences from Wesleyan University and then proceed to Harvard to study psychology under William James.
In 1897, moved to Columbia university.
1898, completed doctorate thesis.
1898, teach at the College for Women of Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio for one year.
In 1899, returned to Columbia University.
In 1912, elected President of the American Psychological Association.
Died at 74.
Key works:
1905 The Elements of Psychology
1910 The Contribution of Psychology to Education
1911 Animal Intelligence
1927 The Measurement of Intelligence
