Edward Thorndike
Framed the law of effect.
A pioneer of learning theory whose law of effect showed that satisfying consequences stamp behaviors in.
techniques
Responses that produce satisfaction become more likely; those that produce discomfort, less so.
Who they were
Edward Thorndike studied how animals escape from puzzle boxes and drew a principle that still anchors learning theory: the law of effect. Responses followed by satisfaction grow stronger; those followed by discomfort fade. He brought measurement and curves to learning, helped found educational psychology, and laid the groundwork on which operant conditioning was later built.
Famous books
What they left on the shelf
Terms they cared about
Ideas worth knowing
Their techniques
How the work was done
Their big idea
Connectionism
Watching animals work their way out of puzzle boxes, Edward Thorndike found that actions followed by reward tend to return, while those that lead nowhere quietly fade. His law of effect described learning as patient trial and error, strengthening the paths that work.
The approach they founded
Behavioral Therapy
Change what you do, and feeling follows. Habits reshaped through reinforcement and practice.
Questions in their spirit
What they’d ask you
Sit with one. Answer online, or in the app.
Carry the idea forward
Thorndike — What they’d ask you
Psipas asks you one small, honest question at a time — and builds the picture from your answers.