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Cited by 1,100Primate Behavior and EcologyAnimal Behavior and Welfare StudiesChild and Animal Learning Development

Animal intelligence; experimental studies

Open access
Thorndike, Edward L.·1911·The Macmillan company eBooks
DOI 10.5962/bhl.title.55072
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Abstract

a bok igi y ty yA yg ae ;een.able subject for a scient may study it without a too uneasy sense of philo heresy and guilt.The writer must confess not only to the absence of an cial reverence for the supposed axiom, but also to the ence of a conviction that it is false, the truth being whatever feature of any animal, say John Smith, of Sapiens, is studied -its length, its color of hair, its temperature, its toothache, its anxiety, or its think 9 x 7-the attitude and methods of the student may erly be substantially the same.Of the six facts in the illustration just given, + three would by the traditional view be all much a study, and all much unlike any of the first thre same kind of science, physical science, would be po the first three and impotent for the last three (save facts about certain physical facts which ' paralleled Conversely one kind of science, psychology, woulc traditional view deal with the last three, but have ~to say about the first three._. .terwith eyes, but by observing thy ._ sale: 3 body through other sense-organs so situated ty lead tosknowledge of only his own body's tempera-It is important to note that for efficient knowledge s own body-temperature, John does not use the sense vach peculiar to him, but that available for all ob-'s.He identifies and measures his 'feverishness' by ing himself as he would study any other animal, by ometer and eye. the case of the toothache the students proceed as , except that they use John's gestures, facial exn, cries and verbal reports, as well as his mere structure and condition.They not only observe the in his teeth, the signs of ulcer and the like, but they x him, tapping a tooth, "Does it hurt?"''How sit hurt?" "Does it hurt very much?" and the ohn, if their equal in knowledge of dentistry, would same methods, testing himself, asking himself is and using the replies made by himself to himself speech.But, as with temperature, he would ge -his identification of the toothache, from a source ble for the others, the sense-organs in his teeth.rorth while to consider how they and he would proan exact identification or measure of the intensity iothache such as was made of his stature or bodyture.First, they would need a scale of toothaches ig intensities.Next, they would need means of ig the intensity of his toothache with those of ale to see which it was most like.Given this scale ans of comparison, they would turn John's attention 2 original toothache to one of given intensity, and the two, both by his facial expression, gestures and 1 by, the verba)) 'ts made.john would, we 'Sress a me ink & Smith Co,

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  • Thorndike's law of effect states that behavioral responses soliciting a reward become strengthened or habitual.

    “As early as 1911, Thorndike postulated the law of effect (Thorndike, 1911, p. 244), which stated that behavioral responses soliciting a reward will become strengthened or habitual (cf. instrumental or operant conditioning).”

    From Selection history: How reward modulates selectivity of visual attention. (2018) · cites this paper as Thorndike, 1911

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Authors
Thorndike, E. L.
Corresponding author
Thorndike, Edward L.
Venue
The Macmillan company eBooks
Publisher
The Macmillan Company
Published
1911
DOI
10.5962/bhl.title.55072
OpenAlex
W2001898186
Cited by
1,100
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 47 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 52 · 2019: 96 · 2018: 46 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 43 · 2015: 42 · 2014: 41 · 2013: 42 · 2012: 45
FWCI
0.00
Type
book
Language
en
Open access
Licence
public-domain
Locations
  • The Macmillan company eBooks (publishedVersion, public-domain)
  • Biodiversity Heritage Library (Smithsonian Institution) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
  • Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Keywords
animal intelligence, animal cognition, animal psychology, animal behavior, animal self-awareness, animal communication, animal emotions, animal learning, animal memory, animal reasoning, animal problem solving, animal language, animal social behavior, animal reproduction, animal evolution, animal ethics, animal welfare, animal rights, animal sentience, animal rights activism

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