EC Tolman, Rats and Mazes Latent Learning EC Tolman, Rats and Mazes

E.C. Tolman Cognitive Theory of Learning Learning as developing from bits of knowledge and cognitions about the environment and how the organism relates to it. This was in contrast to the theories of Thorndike who thought of learning as a strict stimulus-response connection.

Cognitive Maps A mental representation of the layout of one’s environment.

Rats and Mazes Tolman conducted experiments with rats and mazes to examine the role that reinforcement plays in the way that rats learn their way through complex mazes. These experiments eventually led to the theory of latent learning

Latent Learning Latent learning which describes learning that occurs in the absence of an obvious reward Tolman argued that humans engage in this type of learning everyday as we drive or walk the same route daily and learn the locations of various buildings and objects. Only when we need to find a building or object does learning become obvious

Intrinsic Motivation A desire to perform an behavior for its own sake

Extrinsic Motivation Performing a behavior to receive promised reward or avoid punishment.

Cognitive Dissonance This is when a person is trying to reconcile a conflict between attitudes and actions. In trying to do so, they often change their attitudes to support the actions others see. This is why people who like their jobs stay in them even if they are not pay a lot. Or why celebrities complain about being rich and famous.

Biological Predispositions Biological constraints predispose organisms to learn associations that are naturally adaptive. People can be taught a lot of behaviors but you can’t teach them any behavior you desire

Insight Learning A sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem.

Instinctive Drift When animals reverted to their biologically predisposed pattern.