learning_theories:connectionism
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learning_theories:connectionism [2011/06/29 15:47] jpetrovic [What is connectionism?] |
learning_theories:connectionism [2011/08/25 11:17] 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**. 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** although its roots date way back. | + | 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 of thought. 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** although its roots date way back. |
| ===== What is connectionism? ===== | ===== What is connectionism? ===== | ||
| - | 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 based on [[chunks:principles of associationism]], mostly claiming that elements or ideas become associated with one another through experience and that complex ideas can be explained through a set of simple rules. But connectionism further expanded these assumptions and introduced 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. |
| - | * //Mental elements or ideas become associated with one another through experience// | + | Thorndike, the most commonly cited connectionist, summed his ideas on learning into three laws of learning, which should have accounted for both human and animal learning:(([[http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~foreman/itec800/finalprojects/annie/thorndike%27slaw.html|Foreman, Kim. Learning Laws of Thorndike - brief overview.]] Retrieved June 24, 2011.)) |
| - | * //Experience consists of such things as spatial and temporal contiguity and (dis)similarity of ideas// | + | |
| - | * //Complex ideas are composed and can be reduced to a set of simple ideas// | + | |
| - | * //Simple ideas are sensations// | + | |
| - | * //Simple additive rules are sufficient to predict complex ideas// | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | 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. | + | |
| - | Thorndike is the most commonly cited connectionist. Central to his ideas on learning were three laws of learning, which should have accounted for both human and animal learning:(([[http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~foreman/itec800/finalprojects/annie/thorndike%27slaw.html|Foreman, Kim. Learning Laws of Thorndike - brief overview.]] Retrieved June 24, 2011.)) | + | ^ 1. Law of exercise | (Also: //as law of use// or //law of frequency//) The stimulus-response (S-R) associations are strengthened through **repetition** or weakened through lack of repetition. | |
| - | + | ^ 2. Law of effect | 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 positive reinforcing stimulus, the connection will be strengthened and vice versa. | | |
| - | * __**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. | + | ^ 3. Law of readiness | Learning is facilitated by learner's readiness (emotional and motivational) to learn. This potential to learn leads to frustration if not satisfied. | |
| - | * __**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 positive 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. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | This laws have set the basic principles of behaviorist **stimulus-response learning**. | + | |
| + | This laws have set the basic principles of behaviorist **stimulus-response learning**, which was according to Thorndike the key form of learning. | ||
| Thorndike also performed a number of [[chunks:Thorndikes_experiment|experiments on animals]] concluding that learning is **incremental** and **not [[:glossary#insightful_learning|insightful]]**. Established S-R connections or knowledge, according to Thorndike also cause and determine intelligence. | Thorndike also performed a number of [[chunks:Thorndikes_experiment|experiments on animals]] concluding that learning is **incremental** and **not [[:glossary#insightful_learning|insightful]]**. Established S-R connections or knowledge, according to Thorndike also cause and determine intelligence. | ||
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| ===== What is the practical meaning of connectivism? ===== | ===== What is the practical meaning of connectivism? ===== | ||
| - | Connectionism was at its time considered a general theory of learning for both humans and animals. Thorndike's ideas which could well be applied for learning are the idea that rewards promote learning and that repetition enhances learning. | + | Practical implications of Thorndike's ideas are suggested through his laws of learning: |
| + | |||
| + | * rewards promote learning, but punishments do not lead to learning, | ||
| + | * repetition enhances learning, and | ||
| + | * potential to learn needs to be satisfied. | ||
| In his book on learning of mathematics((Thorndike, E. The Psychology of Arithmetic. New York: Macmillan. 1922.)), Thorndike suggested problems children are expected to solve and learn from should be realistic. For example learning to multiply by three should be learned in context of converting feet to yards. He also emphasizes importance of **repetition** and insists on repetitive practice of basic arithmetic operations. Some of the principles in this book even seem inconsistent with his views on learning: here he refers to learning as meaningful and insightful. Well-learned basic skills enable learning of higher-order skills. | In his book on learning of mathematics((Thorndike, E. The Psychology of Arithmetic. New York: Macmillan. 1922.)), Thorndike suggested problems children are expected to solve and learn from should be realistic. For example learning to multiply by three should be learned in context of converting feet to yards. He also emphasizes importance of **repetition** and insists on repetitive practice of basic arithmetic operations. Some of the principles in this book even seem inconsistent with his views on learning: here he refers to learning as meaningful and insightful. Well-learned basic skills enable learning of higher-order skills. | ||
learning_theories/connectionism.txt · Last modified: 2023/06/19 18:03 (external edit)
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