PSYCH 1X03 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Operant Conditioning Chamber, Door Door, Observational Learning
9 Dec 2018
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Forming new voluntary behaviors that direct goal-centered actions. Thorndike provided a problem for an animal to solve. Placed hungry cat inside a puzzle box with a latched door, with food available just outside the door. Door could only be opened to reach the food if cat performed a simple action such as pulling a string or pressing a lever. Cat would then be placed back into the box for another learning trial and observed to see how long it took to master this escape response. Cats displayed a gradual decline in escape time across repeated trials. Vs. humans who would see response times permanently decrease rather than a gradual decrease. Cats show no insight into problem-solving , as escape response was reduced in too small of increments. Frequency of irrelevant behaviors gradually decreased, while correct response increased. Target responses became stamped in and irrelevant responses stamped out.
