Learning New Skills: Thorndike's Puzzle Box Experiments

Introduction to the Research

• Inquiry: How is a new skill learned?
• Researcher: Edward Thorndike
• Method: Ingenious puzzle boxes for cats

Puzzle Box Experiments

• Cats could only escape by operating latches
• Initial Observation: Cats seem clever in escaping (paws, nose)
• Thorndike's Hypothesis: Animals do not understand the consequences of their behavior

Experiment Details

• First Attempt: No evidence of insight was found
• Successful actions appeared by chance
• Discovery: Apparent cleverness was a product of trial and error

Analysis and Findings

• Graphs: Used to measure the rate of learning
• Well-practiced cats quickly recall the actions that led to a reward (food)
• Law of Effect: Actions that bring a reward become "stamped" into the mind

Conclusion

• Behavior changes due to its consequences
• New habits develop even in wild creatures based on rewards