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learning_theories:connectionism [2011/06/29 13:39]
jpetrovic [General]
learning_theories:connectionism [2011/06/29 13:50]
jpetrovic [What is connectionism?]
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 ===== General ===== ===== General =====
  
-Connectionism,​ today defined as an approach in the fields of artificial intelligence,​ cognitive psychology, cognitive science and philosophy of mind which models mental or behavioral phenomena with networks of simple units(([[http://​www.wordiq.com/​definition/​Connectionism|wordiQ:​ Connectionism - Definition]])),​ is not a theory in frames of [[learning_paradigms:​behaviorism]],​ but it **preceded** and **influenced behaviorist school**. ​Although the origins of connectionism date back to Greek philosopher Aristotele, who claimed that memory is composed of simple elements connected in a variety ​of ways(([[http://​books.google.hr/​books?​id=u6j6HTS-rVQC&pg=PA47&​dq=J.+A.+Anderson,​+A.+Pellionisz+and+Rosenfeld,​+E.+Neurocomputing+2&​hl=hr&​ei=G6drTezgJMO58gPTv-nyBw&​sa=X&​oi=book_result&​ct=result&​resnum=1&​ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#​v=onepage&​q&​f=false|J. ​A. AndersonA. Pellionisz ​and Rosenfeld, ENeurocomputing 2MIT Press, Cambridge, MA1990.]])), ​in this article we refer to Thorndike's connectionism.+Connectionism,​ today defined as an approach in the fields of artificial intelligence,​ cognitive psychology, cognitive science and philosophy of mind which models mental or behavioral phenomena with networks of simple units(([[http://​www.wordiq.com/​definition/​Connectionism|wordiQ:​ Connectionism - Definition]])),​ is not a theory in frames of [[learning_paradigms:​behaviorism]],​ but it **preceded** and **influenced behaviorist school**. ​Connectionism represents psychology'​s first comprehensive theory ​of learning(([[http://​books.google.hr/​books?​id=bqo5A2nBwHYC&printsec=frontcover#​v=onepage&​q&​f=false|Zimmerman, Barry J., and Dale HSchunkEducational psychology: a century of contributions. Routledge2003.]])). It was introduced by [[http://​www.mnsu.edu/​emuseum/​information/​biography/​pqrst/​spencer_herbert.html|Herbert Spencer]][[http://​plato.stanford.edu/​entries/​james/​|William James]] and his student [[http://​www.muskingum.edu/​~psych/​psycweb/​history/​thorndike.htm|Edward ​Thorndike]] in the very beginning of the 20th century although its roots date way back.
 ===== What is connectionism?​ ===== ===== What is connectionism?​ =====
  
-Connectionism represents psychology'​s first comprehensive theory of learning(([[http://​books.google.hr/​books?​id=bqo5A2nBwHYC&​printsec=frontcover#​v=onepage&​q&​f=false|Zimmerman,​ Barry J., and Dale H. Schunk. Educational psychology: a century of contributions. Routledge, 2003.]])). It was introduced by [[http://​www.mnsu.edu/​emuseum/​information/​biography/​pqrst/​spencer_herbert.html|Herbert Spencer]], [[http://​plato.stanford.edu/​entries/​james/​|William James]] and his student [[http://​www.muskingum.edu/​~psych/​psycweb/​history/​thorndike.htm|Edward Thorndike]] in the very beginning of the 20th century. ​Connectionism was then **based on principles of associationism** which claimed that(([[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.]]))(([[http://​books.google.hr/​books?​id=wFqlQgAACAAJ&​dq=Connectionism+and+the+Mind:​+An+Introduction+to+Parallel+Processing+in+Networks&​hl=hr&​ei=kKdrTdv3C5Sq8QPzs8W_BQ&​sa=X&​oi=book_result&​ct=result&​resnum=1&​ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA|W. Bechtel and Abrahamsen, A. Connectionism and the Mind: An Introduction to Parallel Processing in Networks. Blackwell, Cambridge, MA, 1991.]])): ​+Connectionism was then **based on principles of associationism** which claimed that(([[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.]]))(([[http://​books.google.hr/​books?​id=wFqlQgAACAAJ&​dq=Connectionism+and+the+Mind:​+An+Introduction+to+Parallel+Processing+in+Networks&​hl=hr&​ei=kKdrTdv3C5Sq8QPzs8W_BQ&​sa=X&​oi=book_result&​ct=result&​resnum=1&​ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA|W. Bechtel and Abrahamsen, A. Connectionism and the Mind: An Introduction to Parallel Processing in Networks. Blackwell, Cambridge, MA, 1991.]])): ​
  
   * //Mental elements or ideas become associated with one another through experience//​   * //Mental elements or ideas become associated with one another through experience//​
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   * //Simple additive rules are sufficient to predict complex ideas//   * //Simple additive rules are sufficient to predict complex ideas//
    
-But connectionism ​**expands** this **ideas of associationism** ​by introducing ideas like [[:​glossary#​distributed_representations|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.+But connectionism ​further expanded these assumptions ​by introducing ideas like [[:​glossary#​distributed_representations|distributed representations]] ​and 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.
  
 [[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.  }}]] [[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.  }}]]
  
-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. After each successful escape out of the box by opening its doors, the cat needed a bit less time to repeat the required process next time. The desired behavior slowly increased. Based on this experiment Thorndike concluded that learning is **incremental** and **not [[:​glossary#​insightful_learning|insightful]]**,​ since the learning of the correct response occurred only through repetition //trial and error// forming of associations between situation and response. Established connections or knowledge, according to Thorndike also cause and determine intelligence.+At the very end of the 19th century Thorndike, one of key connectionists, ​performed experiments first on chickens and later on cats and dogs to analyze how animals learn. In one experimenthe 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. After each successful escape out of the box by opening its doors, the cat needed a bit less time to repeat the required process next time. The desired behavior slowly increased. Based on this experiment Thorndike concluded that learning is **incremental** and **not [[:​glossary#​insightful_learning|insightful]]**,​ since the learning of the correct response occurred only through repetition //trial and error// forming of associations between situation and response. Established connections or knowledge, according to Thorndike also cause and determine intelligence.
  
 To explain observed properties of learning, Thorndike introduced three laws of learning. To explain observed properties of learning, Thorndike introduced three laws of learning.
  
-  * **//Law of exercise//​** (also referred to //as law of use// or //law of frequency//​),​ which states that **stimulus-response** (S-R) **associations** are **strengthened through repetition** or weakened through lack of repetition.+  * **//Law of exercise//​** (also referred to //as law of use// or //law of frequency//​),​ which states that stimulus-response (S-R) associations are **strengthened through repetition** or weakened through lack of repetition.
   * **//Law of effect//** which 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.   * **//Law of effect//** which 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.
   * **//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.  ​   * **//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.  ​
learning_theories/connectionism.txt ยท Last modified: 2023/06/19 18:03 (external edit)