Connectionism

=**Connectionism Hahahahaha**=

Connectionism is a very stimulus/response based theory, one that also plays a large part in behavioral science. Often viewed as a forerunner to the workings of B.F. Skinner, Thorndike believed many behviors were performed in a large part to a response they would garner. For example, if a negative consequence would result from a particular behavior, the likelihood of an individual repeating that behavior would be minimal. Conversely, if the response was positive, the behavior would most likely be repeated. Connectionism is a theory that deals with stimulus/response and whether a response will garner a certain behavior.

Thorndike believed that most of an individuals learning is through trial and error. By using cats as key experimental subjects, he set out to find whether or not 'insight' would allow them to escape from a maze. Very similar in approach to a stimulus and response model, Connectionism would come to be defined through three rules: 1) if something has recently taken place, the probability for it to recur is higher, 2) the probability of a behavior occuring again is strictly affected by the previous reward or consequence acquired, 3) repetition increases the probability of a behavior being repeated. Thorndike found that the cats in his box would escape more through trial and error exercises rather than 'insight' exercises. The time to escape would decrease as well. Below is a video pertaining to his box.

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