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--- learning_theories:connectionism [2011/02/21 16:29]
jpetrovic [What is connectionism?]
+++ learning_theories:connectionism [2011/02/21 16:45]
jpetrovic [What is connectionism?]
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 But connectionism **expands** this **ideas of associationism** by introducing distributed representations or supervised learning(([[http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.86.7504&rep=rep1&type=pdf|Medler, David A. A Brief History of Connectionism. Neural Computing Surveys, 1(2), p18-72. 1998.]])) and should not be confused with associationism. Although he is considered one of the first true connectionist, William James' student Edward Thorndike also made the move towards behaviorist ideas.
-At the very end of 19th century Thorndike performed experiments first on chickens and later on cats and dogs. In one experiment he placed a hungry cat inside a //puzzle box//, which had a mechanism that would open the doors of the box every time a string would be pulled or a button pushed. Behavior which resulted in opening the doors was slowly increased as the cat after each successful attempt to open the door needed a bit less time repeat the same action after being put back into the box. Based on this experiment Thorndike concluded learning is **incremental** and **not insightful**, since it occurred only through //trial and error// forming of associations between situation and response, where correct response was achieved through repetition of trial and error. Established connections or knowledge, according to Thorndike also cause and determine intelligence.
+[[http://historyofpsych.blogspot.com/2010/01/american-behaviorism.html|{{  images:thorndikes_cat.jpg|Thorndike's cat experiment (Image borrowed from: History of Psychology: American Behaviorism. Click on the picture to follow the link.))  }}]]
-{{  :images:thorndikes_cat.jpg|Thorndike's cat experiment  }}
+At the very end of 19th century Thorndike performed experiments first on chickens and later on cats and dogs. In one experiment he placed a hungry cat inside a //puzzle box//, which had a mechanism that would open the doors of the box every time a string would be pulled or a button pushed. Behavior which resulted in opening the doors was slowly increased as the cat after each successful attempt to open the door needed a bit less time repeat the same action after being put back into the box. Based on this experiment Thorndike concluded learning is **incremental** and **not insightful**, since it occurred only through //trial and error// forming of associations between situation and response, where correct response was achieved through repetition of trial and error. Established connections or knowledge, according to Thorndike also cause and determine intelligence.
 To explain observed properties of learning, Thorndike introduced three laws of learning. The first law is the **//law of exercise or use or frequency//**, which states that **stimulus-response** (S-R) **associations** are **strengthened through repetition** or weakened through lack of repetition. His second law, **//law of effect//**, states that the consequence or **outcome** of a situation-response event **can strengthen or weaken** the **connection** between situation and response. If an event is followed by a reinforcing stimulus, the connection will be strengthened and vice versa. The third law, **//law of readiness//**, which claims learning is facilitated by learner's readiness (emotional and motivational) to learn. This potential to learn leads to frustration if not satisfied.

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