1. Assignment of Theories and System-II
Topic - Tolman Theory of Learning
Department of Applied Psychology
Guru Jambheshwar University of Science
& Technology, Hisar (Haryana)
Submitted to : Dr. Sheetal Khatri
Submitted by : Neeraj Verma
Roll no : 220111110010
Classs : MSc -2nd sem
2. Edward C. Tolman (1886-1959)
Edward C. Tolman was an American
psychologist and a professor of psychology at
University of California. Through Tolman’s
theories and works, he founded what is now a
branch of psychology known as “Purposive
Behaviorism”. He is also known for Behavioral
psychology, Cognitive map and Latent
learning.
A review of Genral Psychology survey,
published in 2002, ranked Tolman as the 45th
most cited psychologist of the 20th century.
3. Tolman theory of learning -
The Tolman theory of learning also known as the purposive
behaviorism, is a psychological theory of learning that emphasizes the
role of cognition and purpose in behavior. According to Tolman
learning is not just a passive process of association and reinforcement,
but also influenced by an individual’s expectations, goals and beliefs.
Animals develop cognitive maps to guide their behavior towards a goal.
Behavior is not simply a response to a stimuli, but is guided by an
individual’s internal processes and goals.
4. The Tolman theory of learning goes against the traditional behaviorist
view that learning is a purely mechanical process of Stimulus-Response
association. Tolman instead argued that learning is a complex process
that involves the interaction of an individual’s cognition and
environment. He believed that organisms posses an active, goal-
directed approach of their environment, and that they use their
internal mental representations to make decisions and direct their
behavior.
The theory emphasizes the importance of motivation and purpose in
learning. He argued that behavior is not simply a reflexive response to
stimuli, but is shaped by an individual’s expectations, goals and beliefs
about what will happen in a particular situation. According to Tolman,
learning also involves the understanding of the relationships and
connections between different stimuli and events in the environment.
5. Experiments of Tolman theory of learning :
There have been several experiments conducted to support and test the
Tolman theory of learning. Some of the key experiments include -
1. Latent Learning experiment
2. Sign-Gestalt experiment
3. Partial Reinforcement experiment
4. Place-Learning experiment
These experiments helped to provide evidence in support of Tolman theory
of learning and demonstrate the importance of cognition, motivation and
purpose in behavior and learning.
6. The Latent Learning experiment -
In this experiment Tolman used
rats in maze and allowed them to
explore the maze without
reinforcement. The rats were then
given reinforcement and their
performance improved,
demonstrating that they had
formed cognitive maps of the
maze during their initial
exploration, even though they
were not being reinforced.
7. The results showed that animals can learn
about their environment even when they are
not being directly reinforced for their
behavior. This experiment challenged the
traditional behaviorist view that learning only
occurs when there is a direct reinforcement,
and showed that learning can occur through
the development of internal mental
representations. This experiment helped to
demonstrate the importance of motivation
and purpose in learning, as well as the role of
cognition in shaping behavior and proved that
learning is a complex process that involves
both behavior and cognition.
8. Sign-Gestalt experiment -
This experiment was conducted by Tolman and his colleagues, and
involved rats that were trained to turn left or right in a T-maze
depending on the presence or absence of a visual cue, such as a light or
a piece of paper.
The results of the experiment showed that the rats had formed an
understanding of the relationship between the cue and their response,
even when the cue was not present. This demonstrate the concept of
“Cognitive set”, which refers to the internal mental processes that
guide behavior. The rats showed that they had formed an expectation
about what would happen in the absence of the cue, based on their
previous experience and this expectation, influenced their behavior.
9. The Partial Reinforcement experiment -
In this experiment, Tolman used rats and trained them using partial
reinforcement, where only certain turns in a maze were reinforced. The
results of the experiment showed evidence of “Latent learning”, in that
the rats learned the entire maze even though they were only being
reinforced for a part of it.
This experiment showed that learning could occur even when
reinforcement is not continuous. The rats had formed an understanding
of the relationships between the various parts of the maze. This
showed that the rats had formed a mental representation of the maze,
which they then used to guide their behavior.
10. The Place-Learning experiment -
This experiment involved rats that were trained to navigate a complex
maze to find food. The rats were then placed in different parts of the
maze and showed that they could still find the food, demonstarting
that they had formed a cognitive map of the maze.
The results showed that the rats had formed a mental representation
of maze, which they then used to guide their behavior. This demonstate
the importance of cognition and motivation in shaping their behavior.
This helped to establish the idea that learning is a complex process that
involves both behavior and cognition and provided further evidence for
the Tolman theory of learning.
