Principles of Learning

- Association btw Sensation and Impulse - Animals (cats and chickens) in puzzle box experiments - Association made when actions result in satisfying consequences

- Provided a foundation for later investigations in cognition. - Ushered in new era of interest in the study of learning (Hernstein & Boring (1965) as cited in Driscoll, 2000, p. 18) - Associationism - ideas become connected through experience; higher frequency -> stronger bond; therefore, learning should be predictable based on the number of times a given association is repeatedly experienced (Ebbinghaus [1885] 1913, as cited in Driscoll 2000, p. 18) - Provided experimental verification of some obvious facts about memory - The Forgetting Curve (Driscoll 2000, p. 19) - Note: forgetting of other learned experiences may follow different curve (e.g. personally traumatic events) (Bourne et al 1986 as cited in Driscoll 2000, p. 19)

(in Driscoll 2000) Ebbinghaus: Principle of association (1850-1909) Thorndike: Law of effect (1874-1949) Pavlov: Classical conditioning (1849-1946) Gestalt theory: Insightful learning (Early 1900s)