Thorndike (1911) Operant Conditioning Experiments

Aim

To demonstrate that cats learn through operant conditioning (Learning through the consequences of behavioural responses)

Design

Experiment

Procedure

Cats were placed in a puzzle box and had to learn to escape. Their escape entailed pulling a string inside the box which released the catch on the door and provided escape (a desirable consequence)

Results

Cats gradually learnt how to escape from the box. Each time the cat was put in the box they escaped more quickly by using methods that had previously provided a desirable consequence (escape) and they avoided behaviours that led to an undesirable effect. This is known as the Law of Effect.