Essay Critique of Edward Thorndike - 446 Words

Article Crtique Title of Article: The Contribution of Psychology to Education Author: Edward L. Thorndike Journal Source: The Journal of Educational Psychology The Contribution of Psychology to Education. Edward L. Thorndike, The Journal of Educational Psychology, 1910, v. 1, p. 5-12. Synopsis of Article: This article explains the relationship between Education and Psychology and how Psychology plays a dominant role in understanding ideas and the material in Education. It delineates the contribution of psychology to education from the view of society and then from the work of a psychologist. It focuses on natural tendencies in human nature that influence the learning process and also the affect our surroundings have on†¦show more content†¦Limitations of the Article: The examples in the article were very brief and should have contained more proof, i.e. test people to support some of these examples. It made me wonder if intelligence is hereditary or if one is simply naturally gifted. I also wonder if it is really true that having one teacher to a class of fifteen students gives better results than a class of three. I would think having three students to one teacher would give the teacher more time to focus on one students rather than in a class of fifteen where there are more students, i.e. less time spent with each child. I would think this would produce better results in a class of three students. I also wonder if practice really does make perfect, because although one may practice many times to make that perfection, are they really satisfied with the results and when exactly does one become perfect? If God says no one is perfect than how can men make practice perfect? I think that this area requires more research because there are still many unanswered questions lingering in our lives. I must agree that the classroom contributes tremendously to psychology through what is being taught and what is being learned, and how the students respond to this material. Relevancy to Topic: B.F. Skinner would show how an organisms behavior is understood as a function of its interaction with its environment. Skinners ideas had obvious application to education. He believed in programmedShow MoreRelatedThe Behavior Of Organisms, An Experimental Analysis Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesgreat classical figures in the field at the time including Pavlov, Sherrington and Magnus had also studied a single species. He also purports that Edward L. Thorndike anticipated his operant conditioning theory with that of his â€Å"Law of Effect.† However, Skinner makes the distinction that the contingencies for the two experiments were different as Thorndike suggested that learning took place on a trial and error basis, however in his research â€Å"the organism was not necessarily trying to do anything, andRead MoreSnapshot1702 Words   |  7 Pageswith the study of observable behavior. There was no consideration of internal representation or the mind. Founded in the early 20th century by American psychologist John B. Watson, behaviorism was embraced and extended by Americans Edward Thorndike, Clark L. Hull, Edward C. Tolman, and later B.F. Skinner. Behaviorism differs from other perspectives in a number of ways. Behaviorists focus on behavior-environment relations and analyze overt and covert (i.e., private) behavior as a function of the organismRead MoreA Critique of the Behavioural Theories of Learning4629 Words   |  19 PagesA CRITIQUE OF THE BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES OF LEARNING One of the most debated issues in psychology pertains to the nature and meaning of learning. The systematic study of learning is relatively new as it was in the late nineteenth century that studies in this realm began in a scientific manner. Psychologists borrowed techniques from the physical sciences, and conducted experiments to understand how people and animals learn. 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Contrasting this view of learning is the emphasis of cognitive psychologists who equate learning with theRead MoreThe Importance of Considering Philosophical and Psychological Foundations in Developing a Curriculum.9983 Words   |  40 Pagesif they were scientists using the scientific method proposed by Dewey (1920). Indeed, nothing better illustrates how the assumed connection between  progressivism  and non-didactic pedagogy very readily comes apart than the celebrated inspectorate critique of teaching methods at A. S. Neills famous or notorious school Summerhill (Neill, 1965). For, despite the fact that Summerhill is widely regarded as the very epitome of progressive schooling, Neills teaching methods were found wanting on theRead MoreHerbert Spencer Essay13142 Words   |  53 Pagesmost. For 30 years, from the 1860s, Spencers thought dominated American universities. The last of those decades, the 1890s, produced the revolution in educational thought and psychology led by William James and John Dewey, Stanley Hall, and E. L. Thorndike, all influenced by Spencer. In Britain, J. S. Mill backed financially the subscription scheme that launched Spencers work, and the scientists supported him too. Charles Darwin wrote, After reading any of his books I generally feel enthusiastic