How did Skinner's work in behaviorism differ from Thorndike's work?

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However, in Skinner's theory, a behavior is likely to reoccur based on a reinforcer rather than whether the stimulus is positive or negative. Thorndike's theory on the other hand is based primarily on the reinforcements and punishments, both which in theory could be stimulating.



Herein, how did Edward Thorndike pave the way for Skinner's work and the study of behaviorism?

Edward Thorndike (1898) is famous in psychology for his work on learning theory that lead to the development of operant conditioning within Behaviorism. Skinner wasn't the first psychologist to study learning by consequences. Indeed, Skinner's theory of operant conditioning is built on the ideas of Edward Thorndike.

Subsequently, question is, how do behaviorism and cognitive psychology differ? Difference between Behaviorism and Cognitive psychology. Behaviorism is a branch of psychology that deals with actions of people based on external environmental influences, whereas cognitive psychology is based on the mental thought process that alters a person's behavior. They both deal with human behavior.

In respect to this, what is the difference between the law of effect and operant conditioning?

Law of effect says rewards are reinforcement and punishment is the opposite. So rewards reinforce and punishment makes you less likely to continue a behavior.

In what ways do the theories of Pavlov and Thorndike become similar and different?

The main difference between these two theories was that Thorndike included rewarding situations in his theory, whereas Pavlov studied only reflex responses to stimuli.

36 Related Question Answers Found

How does behaviorism affect personality?

Behaviorism is the study of how people develop patterns of behaviors through either association of two things or through rewards and punishments. Behaviorists believe that all human behavior is driven by instinct. The behaviorist view of personality is that personality is an adaptation to the environment.

What is theory of connectionism?

Connectionism theory is based on the principle of active learning and is the result of the work of the American psychologist Edward Thorndike. According to these Laws, learning is achieved when an individual is able to form associations between a particular stimulus and a response.

What is Thorndike's theory?

The learning theory of Thorndike represents the original S-R framework of behavioral psychology: Learning is the result of associations forming between stimuli and responses. Such associations or “habits” become strengthened or weakened by the nature and frequency of the S-R pairings.

What is Thorndike's Law?

The law of effect is a psychology principle advanced by Edward Thorndike in 1898 on the matter of behavioral conditioning (not then formulated as such) which states that "responses that produce a satisfying effect in a particular situation become more likely to occur again in that situation, and responses that produce

What is Skinner's theory?


B. F. Skinner was one of the most influential of American psychologists. A behaviorist, he developed the theory of operant conditioning -- the idea that behavior is determined by its consequences, be they reinforcements or punishments, which make it more or less likely that the behavior will occur again.

What is the law of effect examples?

More Examples
If you study and then get a good grade on a test, you will be more likely to study for the next exam. If you work hard and then receive a promotion and pay raise, you will be more likely to continue to put in more effort at work.

What is shaping behavior?

The process of establishing a behavior that is not learned or performed by an individual at present is referred to as Shaping. Shaping can also be defined as the procedure that involves reinforcing behaviors that are closer to the target behavior, also known as successive approximations.

What are the three laws of learning by Thorndike?

Edward Thorndike developed the first three laws of learning: readiness, exercise, and effect. He set also the law of effect which means that any behavior that is followed by pleasant consequences is likely to be repeated, and any behavior followed by unpleasant consequences is likely to be avoided.

What are the similarities and differences between classical conditioning and operant conditioning?

In classical conditioning learning is passive, or the learner is the object, while in operant conditioning the learning is active or the learner is subjected to the consequence. In addition, classical conditioning associates two stimuli while operant conditioning associates an action with a consequence.

What is the quantitative law of effect?


The resulting behavior was consistent with the well-established quantitative law of effect, which asserts that the time rate of a behavior is a hyperbolic function of the time rate of reinforcement obtained for the behavior.

How does operant conditioning relate to Thorndike's Law of Effect?

Basic Principles of Operant Conditioning: Thorndike's Law of Effect. Thorndike's law of effect states that behaviors are modified by their positive or negative consequences.

What is operant conditioning in psychology?

Operant conditioning (sometimes referred to as instrumental conditioning) is a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. Through operant conditioning, an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior.

What is the law of exercise?

A law which states that, in learning, the more frequently a stimulus and response are associated with each other, the more likely the particular response will follow the stimulus. The law implies that one learns by doing and one cannot learn a skill, for instance, by watching others.

What is Skinner box and what is its purpose?

What is a Skinner box and what is its purpose? A Skinner box is an operant conditioning chamber used to train animals such as rats and pigeons to perform certain behaviors, like pressing a lever. Shaping is an operant conditioning method in which you reward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.

What is legal effect?


Legal effect refers to the different legal effects that constitutional norms may generate in a specific legal system. These are distinguished from the political, social, and psychological effects that constitutions may have on individuals and society at large.

Why is law of effect important?

The law of effect stated that those behavioral responses that were most closely followed by a satisfying result were most likely to become established patterns and to occur again in response to the same stimulus. The law of exercise stated that behaviour is more strongly established…