(1886-1959)

Jonathan Anat
 Edwin Ray Guthrie
-Born in Lincoln, Nebraska on January 9, 1886
-He recieves his PhD in Philosophy from
University of Pennsylvania (1912), and joined
University of Washington (1918) as an assistant
professor.
-Published Psychology of Learning (1935),
revised (1952).
 Edwin Ray Guthrie
-Cillaborated with Horton (1936-1939), an
stereotypical behavior of cat in puzzle box.

-Received a gold medal from American

Psychological Foundation (1958).

-Died in 1959.
 Contiguity Theory

"a combination of stimuli which has

accompanied a movement will on its
recurrence tend to be followed by that
movement".
 Contiguity Principles

When stimulus associated themselves

with a movement -- their recurrence,
is followed by the movement.
 Contiguity Theory
Examples:
 Contiguity Theory

•Learnt movements are minute responses

made by the muscles and are based on
stimulus response associations.

•A learned behavior (act) is based on a number

of learnt movements put together.
 Contiguity Theory

What is learned are movements,

not behaviors
 Contiguity Theory

Reward or punishments play no

significant role in learning.
 Contiguity Theory

How did Guthrie know?

 What do we learn from Guthrie’s experiment?

Each cat has its own stereotypical movement

to escape the box. Thus Guthrie suggested it one
trial learning, unlike Thorndike's proposal that
cat learn from repetition
He also proposed that cats did not need
reinforcement to learn. (It prevent learning)
 What do we learn from Guthrie’s experiment?

Each cat has its own stereotypical movement

to escape the box. Thus Guthrie suggested it one
trial learning, unlike Thorndike's proposal that
cat learn from repetition
He also proposed that cats did not need
reinforcement to learn. (It prevent learning)
 What do we learn from Guthrie’s experiment?

It tells us that an animal learns an association

between a stimulus and a behavioral act after
only one experience.

Numerous trials are not duplications, but

learning to respond to similar stimulus
complexes. Only after we form several
associations can the behaviour be learnt.
 What about forgetting?

Contiguity theory implies that forgetting occurs

when one habit prevents another due to some
stronger stimuli.

Guthrie stated that forgetting is due to

interference because the stimuli become
associated with new responses
What about forgetting?
 Principles of contiguity theory

In order for conditioning to occur, the organism

must actively respond (i.e., do things).
Since learning involves the conditioning of
specific movements, instruction must present
very specific tasks.
 Principles of contiguity theory

Exposure to many variations in stimulus

patterns is desirable in order to produce a
generalized response.
The last response in a learning situation should
be correct since it is the one that will be
associated.
 Educational Implication

"We learn only what we ourselves do"