Trial and Error Learning
Trial and Error Learning
Trial and Error is a method of learning in which various responses are tentatively tried and
some discarded until a solution is attained.
E.L.Thorndike (1874-1949) was the chief exponent of the theory of connectionism or trial
and error. He was an American Psychologist who conducted Stimulus - Response(S-R)
theory experiment with the help of animals. Thorndike was the first to study the subject of
learning systematically using standardized procedure and apparatus. All learning, according
to Thorndike is the formation of bonds or connections between Stimulus- Response.
Thorndike's Experiment on cat in the puzzle is widely known and often quoted in psychology
of learning. The experimental set up was very simple. A hungry cat was confined in a puzzle
box and outside the box a dish of food was kept. The cat, in the box had to pull a string to
come out of the box. The cat in the box made several random movements of jumping,
dashing and running to get out of the box. The cat at last succeeded in pulling the string. The
door of the puzzle box opened, the cat came out and ate the food. He promptly put the cat to
next trial. The cat again gave a lot of frantic behaviour but it soon succeeded in pulling the
string. It repeated for several time, Thorndike noticed as the repetition increases the error also
reduced i.e., Thorndike's cat showed slow, gradual and continuous improvement in
performance over successive trials. He concluded that learning of cat in the puzzle box can be
explained in term of formation of direct connectionism between stimulus and response.
6. With the increase in number of trials the annoying responses will tend to be
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eliminated and the satisfying responses will be strengthened and repeated.
7. The time taken to perform the task (to repeat the satisfying response) decreases with
successive trials.
Law of Readiness :
The law states "When any conduction unit is ready to conduct, for it do so is satisfying.
When a conduction unit is not ready to conduct. for it to conduct is annoying. When any
conduction is ready to conduct, for it not to do so is annoying."
Law of Effect:
The law states "When a modifiable connection between a stimulus and response is made
and is accompanied or followed by a satisfying state of affairs the strength of connection
is increased. When a connection between stimulus and response is made and
accompanied or followed by an annoying state of affairs , it strength decreases.
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Law of Exercise:
The law states "Any response to a situation will, other things being equal, be more
strongly connected with the situation in proportion to the number of times it has been
connected with that situation and to the average vigour and duration of the connection."
The law has two sub parts: a) Law of Use and b) Law of Disuse
a) Law of Use states that "When a modifiable connection is made between a situation
and response that connection strength is increased if it is practised."
b) Law of Disuse states that "When a modifiable connection is not made between a
situation and response, during a length of time, that connection's strength is decreased."
This means, any act that is not practised for sometime gradually decays.
Educational Implication