2. Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you will be able
to:
• identify the primary laws of learning
postulated by Edward Thorndike;
• describe how behaviors are learned
according to Thorndike's laws of
learning,
• and provide teaching implications of
Thorndike's laws of learning.
3. THINK
• Edward L. Thorndike (1874-
1949) was prominent
because of his laws of
learning, primarily under
the umbrella of
associationism or
connectionism (Mayer,
2003).
• It is mainly concerned with the connection
between the stimulus and response (S-R).
4. THINK
• According to Karadut (2012),
Thorndike is one of the few
psychologists who focused on
education.
• In proving his findings, Thorndike
used an experimental approach in
measuring a student's academic
achievement.
5. • Thorndike believed that forming
associations or connections between
sensory experiences and neural impulses
results in the prime type of learning.
THINK
• The neural impulses, called responses, are
behaviorally manifested. He believed that
learning often occurs by trial and error
(selecting and connecting).
6. Laws of Learning
Thorndike's basic ideas
rest in the laws of
exercise and effect.
• Firstly, the Law of
Exercise is divided
into two parts: the
law of use and the
law of disuse.
7. -The law of use means that the
frequent recurring of the response to a
stimulus strengthens their connection.
-Meanwhile, the law of disuse means
that when a response is not made to a
stimulus, the connection's strength is
weakened or even forgotten.
8. • Drills are vital to acquire and sustain
learning. In the very words of
Thorndike (1913), bonds between
stimuli and responses are
strengthened through being
exercised frequently, recently, and
"vigorously."
• Learners usually learn faster when
they often apply a certain skill (e.g.,
spelling new terms) and tend to
forget when such a response does
not recur over some time (Karadut,
2012).
9. • Thorndike later revised the
Law of Exercise. He confessed
that by merely practicing, one
does not bring improvement in
learning. Practicing, according
to Thorndike, is not sufficient.
• Hence, the constant practice
must be followed by some
reward or satisfaction to the
learner.
• In short, the pupil must be
motivated to learn.
10. Secondly, The Law of Effect
• Meanwhile, emphasizes that if a response is
followed by a "satisfying" state of affairs, the
S-R connection is strengthened; if a
response is followed by an "annoying" state
of affairs, the S-R connection is weakened.
• Thus, Thorndike posited that satisfiers
and annoyers are critical to learning.
12. The third law of learning also has something to do
with boosting human motivation. The law of
readiness states that if one is prepared to act, to do
so is rewarding, and not to do so is punishing.
• In short, before
learning commences,
one must be physically,
emotionally, mentally,
and psychologically
prepared.
13. • This law is illustrated when a
learner knows the answer to a
particular question, thus
raising his or her hand.
• Calling him or her to recite is
rewarding.
• However, when the teacher
calls on a student who does
not know the answer may be
annoying on his or her part,
thus weakening the bond of
stimulus and response.
14. • When students are ready to
learn a particular action (in
terms of developmental level or
prior skill acquisition), then
behaviors that foster this
learning will be rewarding.
• Meanwhile, when students are
not ready to learn or do not
possess prerequisite skills, then
attempting to learn is punishing
and even becomes a waste of
time.
17. Thorndike also observed that the first thing
learned has the strongest S-R bond and is almost
inerasable.
He calls this as the Law of Primacy.
It implies that learning a concept or
skill again is more difficult than the
first time one has learned it.
18. • This explains why teachers correct
students who have misconceptions in a
new lesson.
• The application part in a lesson plan or
daily lesson log is strategically situated
before generalizing a concept so that
teachers can detect the
misunderstandings of the students in a
certain lesson.
19. When the misconception is not corrected for the
first time, that may lead to habit formation. In
English Language Teaching, a recurring mistake
among learners is called fossilization (Demirezen
& Topal, 2015).
Relearning the correct concept later will be confusing
to the students or even time-consuming. Hence, the
first (prime) learning experience should be as
functional, as precise, and as positive as possible so
that it paves the way to the more comfortable learning
experiences to follow.
20. This teaching principle is primarily rooted in
Thorndike's Law of Intensity.
• Thorndike believed that exciting,
immediate, or even dramatic learning
within the real context of the students
would tremendously facilitate learning.
• Hence, the Law of Intensity implies that
exposing the students in real- world
applications of the skills and concepts
makes them most likely to remember the
experience.
21. The current K to 12 curriculum of the
country immerses senior high school
students to a short-time real- world
application called "on-the-job training" or
OJT.
They receive a foretaste of how the skills
and concepts they learn in class are applied
in the real workplace. In that sense, the
learning experience becomes more intense
and will most likely be remembered.
22. The concepts or skills most recently learned
are least forgotten. This is the gist of the Law of
Recency. Thus, when learners are isolated in
time from learning a new concept, the more
difficult it is for them to remember.
For instance, in a foreign language class (e.g.,
French), it is easier to recall and recite those
which are learned minutes ago than those
which were taught the other month.
23. • This implies that teachers should facilitate
learning by providing the learners with a
clear connection between the previous and
the current learning experience.
• Letting the students mention or apply the
formerly learned skill or concept in the
new learning experience may refresh their
memory, thus the higher the probability of
forgetting.
24. • Thorndike also mentioned that humans
tend to show an almost similar
response to an entirely different
stimulus if, on recurring instances, that
stimulus has slight changes compared
to the previously known one.
• Thorndike coins this as the Principle of
Associative Shifting.
25. For example, to teach pupils to add a
three-digit number, teachers let them
master the adding of a one-digit
number first. As they solve increasing
numbers, pupils will tend to associate
the response to the previously paired
S-R.
26. Thorndike noted that
teacher should,
form habits, do not expect
them to create themselves
beware of
forming a habit
that must be
broken later
Introduce a skill
when it will
most fully
facilitate
learning which
will follow
shortly.
identify a skill it is most
suited in difficulty to the
ability of the learner
Do not form two or more
habits when one will do as
well
27. • The transfer occurs when the contexts of
learning have identical elements and call
for similar responses.
• Thorndike called it as generalization
(Thorndike, 1913). This implies that not
only skills should be taught in one isolated
topic, but also that other related subjects
or topics should provide opportunities for
the students to apply them.
#3:Prominent= A very well known and important figure when figure
-Edward Lee "Ted" Thorndike
-(August 31, 1874 –August 9, 1949)
-American psychologist
-provided the basic framework for empirical laws in behavioral psychology with his Law of
Effect.
-He had major impacts on education, where the Law of Effect has great influence in the
classroom.
-In Thorndike's work, he also viewed most behavior as a response to stimuli in the environment.
-This view that stimuli can prompt responses was the forerunner of what became known as the Stimulus-Response Theory
Connectionism: Thorndike's idea that learning occurs when there is a connection between the stimulus and the response has been applied in modern education to help students make connections between what they are learning and the real world
This means that Thorndike's work in learning theory focused on the idea that learning occurs through the association of stimuli and responses.
stimuli- Stimuli can be external or internal, and they can trigger a physical or behavioral change
. Examples of stimuli include sights, sounds, smells, temperature changes, and irritants
Response- a response is a reaction or reply to a stimulus, and it can take many different forms depending on the type of stimulus and the individual's response to it.
The S-R theory, is the idea that learning occurs when there is a connection between the stimulus and the response
. Thorndike believed that this connection becomes stronger with repetition
. His research focused on the behavior and learning process of animals, particularly cats and dogs, to understand how their learning can be applied to humans, particularly in the field of education
#4:Edward Thorndike used an experimental approach to measure a student's academic achievement. He believed that learning could be observed, measured, and assessed concretely.
Thorndike's approach to measuring academic achievement involved the use of standardized tests and other objective measures.
He was one of the first psychologists to combine learning theory, psychometrics, and applied research for school-related subjects to form the psychology of education.
Thorndike's experimental approach to measuring academic achievement has had a lasting impact on modern education, and standardized tests and other objective measures are still widely used today to assess student learning and academic achievement
#5:Sensory experiences refer to the information that is received and processed by the senses, including sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.
Sensory experiences are an important part of human perception and can influence our thoughts, emotions, and behavior.
Thorndike believed that neural impulses played a critical role in learning, as they were responsible for the strengthening of the connections between a stimulus and a response.
He believed that these connections were neural bonds, and that the more a response was reinforced, the stronger the connection between the response and the stimulus became.
He believed that learning often occurs by trial and error (selecting and connecting).
Thorndike believed that learning often occurs by trial and error, which he called "learning by selection of the successful variant".
ex.
When no ready-made solution to a problem is available, the learner adopts the method of trial and error. The learner tries one solution, and if it does not work, they reject it and try another until they find the correct solution.
This theory means that learning is a gradual process that occurs through trial and error and has been applied in modern education to encourage students to learn from their mistakes and to keep trying until they succeed.
#6:-Educational psychologists have identified several
principles of learning, also referred to as laws of learning, which seem generally applicable to the learning process.
-These principles have been discovered, tested, and used in practical situations.
-They provide additional insight into what makes people learn most effectively.
-Edward Thorndike developed the first three "Laws of learning:" readiness, exercise, and effect.
#7:This law is often summarized as "use it or lose it"
Law of Use:
This law states that connections between neurons in the brain become strengthened with use, and weakened when not used
.
The more a neural pathway is used, the stronger it becomes, and the easier it is to recall information or perform a task associated with that pathway.
This law emphasizes the importance of practice and repetition in learning and retaining information
Example: Practicing a skill or studying a subject regularly to improve one's performance or knowledge retention
The Law of Disuse
states that knowledge not used becomes weakened and disappears from memory.
This law emphasizes the importance of using new information so that it sticks, and connecting new information to existing knowledge
Example: Applying new information immediately, repeating the information, or connecting the new information to existing knowledge
#8:Drills are a teaching technique in which students are given the same materials repeatedly until mastery is achieved.
Drills involve the repetitive practice of different skills, such as writing a list of words or equations repeatedly or using flashcards
ex.
Drills can be used to reinforce important materials, practice critical skills and knowledge sets, and increase speed and skill at performing a given task
Bonds between stimuli and responses are strengthened through being exercised frequently, recently, and "vigorously."
This explains why pianists, for example, repeatedly practice their pieces before their performances. By practicing (law of use), they ensure that they will play correctly. If they do not exercise playing their pieces (law of disuse), they may encounter difficulty in smoothly accomplishing their performances.
#9:-The principle
of exercise states that
those things most often
repeated are best remembered. It is the
basis of drill and practice.
-It has been proven that
students learn best and
retain information
longer when they have
meaningful practice
and repetition. The key here is that the practice
must be meaningful. It
is clear that practice
leads to improvement
only when it is
followed by positive
feedback.
-Every time practice occurs,
learning continues. These include
student recall, review and
summary, and manual drill and
physical applications.All of these
serve to create learning habits. The
instructor must repeat important
items of subject matter
atreasonable intervals, and provide
opportunities for students to
practice while making sure that this process is directed toward agoal.
According to Thorndike, practicing alone is not sufficient for learning. While repetition is important, it is not enough to ensure that learning has taken place.
Thorndike believed that learning is the result of the strengthening of the connections between a stimulus and a response, and that reinforcement can be positive or negative, increasing or decreasing the likelihood of a particular response in the future.
Thorndike's theory of learning did not focus on thoughts, plans, and strategies, but rather on the observable behavior of organisms.
Critics argue that Thorndike's theory oversimplifies learning, neglects cognitive processes, and fails to account for the role of motivation
This implies that rewards or satisfaction are essential to reinforce the behavior and increase the likelihood of the behavior being repeated in the future.
An example of this is the use of rewards in classrooms to motivate students to learn and perform better. Studies have shown that training under rewarded conditions is more effective than training under punished or neutral conditions in eliciting lasting motor learning.
#10:-The Law of Effect states that if an act is followed by a satisfying change in the environment, the likelihood that the act will be repeated in similar situations increases.
-behaviors that lead to satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated, whereas behaviors that lead to undesired outcomes are less likely to recur.
-According to him, pupils/students learn more effectively and easily and retain that learning longer if it has pleasant consequences.
-The law of effect states that "responses that produce a satisfying effect in a particular situation become more likely to occur again in that situation, and responses that produce a discomforting effect become less likely to
occur again in that situation.“
-The principle of effect is based on the emotional reaction of the student. It has a direct relationship to motivation.
-The principle of effect is that learning is
strengthened when accompanied by a
pleasant or satisfying feeling, and that learning is weakened when associated with an unpleasant feeling.
-An example is often portrayed in drug addiction. When a person uses a substance for the first time and receives a positive outcome, they are likely to repeat the behavior due to the reinforcing consequence.
-One of the important obligations of the
instructor is to set up the learning situation in
such a manner that each trainee will be able to see evidence of progress and achieve some degree of success.
For example, if a student receives praise or a good grade for completing a homework assignment, they are more likely to complete future assignments.
Similarly, if a person receives a reward for performing a particular behavior, they are more likely to repeat that behavior in the future
On the other hand, if a response is followed by an "annoying" state of affairs, the S-R connection is weakened.
An "annoying" state of affairs refers to any state of affairs that is unpleasant or punishing to the individual
For example, if a student is scolded for talking in class, they are less likely to talk in class in the future
This explains why teachers give favorable comments to students who show pleasant behavior in class; when such ego-boosting comments satisfy the learners, the higher the chance that they will repeat such behavior.
#12:-Individuals learn best when
they are physically, mentally,
and emotionally ready to learn,
and do not learn well if they see
no reason for learning.
-Getting students ready to learn,
creating interest by showing the
value of the subject matter, and
providing continuous mental or
physical challenge, is usually the instructor’s responsibility.
-
#13:-Thorndike believed that
readiness is an important
condition of learning
because satisfactionor
frustration depends on
the individual’s state of
readiness.
#14:-If students have a strong purpose, a clear objective, and a definite reason for learning something, they make more progress than if they lack motivation. In other words, when students are ready to learn, they meet the instructor at least halfway, simplifying the
instructor’s job.
1. This means that when students are developmentally ready to learn a particular skill or concept, they are more likely to find behaviors that foster this learning rewarding.
For example, if a student is developmentally ready to learn how to read, they are more likely to find reading activities rewarding and engaging.
. Similarly, if a student has prior skill acquisition in a particular subject, they are more likely to find behaviors that foster learning in that subject rewarding.
2. This means that if students are not developmentally ready to learn a particular skill or concept, or if they lack the prerequisite skills needed to learn, then attempting to learn can be frustrating and demotivating. For example, if a student is not developmentally ready to learn how to read, attempting to teach them to read can be frustrating and demotivating for both the student and the teacher.
and it is important for teachers to recognize when students are developmentally ready to learn and have the prerequisite skills needed to learn.
#17:The law of primacy refers to the idea that things learned first create a strong impression.
What is taught must be right the first time.
"First impressions are strong impressions"
"Learning that takes place in the beginning is the best and lasting"
Examples of the law of primacy include remembering the first item in a list more than subsequent items, and the importance of placing the most important information first (or last) in a presentation.
#19:As much as possible, teachers provide activities that come extreme relevance to the learners.
#20:The principle of intensity implies that a student will learn more from the real thing than from a substitute.
A sharp, clear, or exciting learning experience teaches more than a routine or boring experience.
The more intense the material taught, the more likely it will be retained.
If the stimulus (experience) is real, the more likely there is to be a change in behavior (learning).
#22:The law of recency is a principle of learning that states that things most recently learned are best remembered.
This means that the more recent a learning experience, the more likely it is to be retained in memory.
The law of recency is applicable in instructional design, where instructors recognize the law of recency when they plan a lesson summary or a conclusion of the lecture.
Repeat, restate, or reemphasize important matters at the end of the lesson to ensure that the students remember them. The law of recency is also applicable in habit acquisition, where habitual behavior emerges by retrieving and repeating a behavior that was executed during the last encounter with the stimulus.
The law of recency is one of the principles of learning identified by educational psychologists, and it is generally applicable to the learning process.
#24:Anonymous
Like
What is law of primacy
Sources
Law of primacy in persuasion

wikipedia
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1
[PDF] The six laws of learning are suitable for most learning situations. Keeping these laws in mind when planning instruction will c

hofstra
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2
The 6 Laws of Learning No Instructional Designer Can Afford to Ignore - Shift eLearning

shiftelearning
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3
The Law of Primacy – Use it to Your Advantage - Take Flight Aviation

takeflightoc
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4
Laws of Learning - Edward L. Thorndike (1974-194) - Current Nursing

currentnursing
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5
Laws of Learning - The Drill Pad

drillpad
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6
Answer
The law of primacy refers to the idea that things learned first create a strong impression. In persuasive communication, the order of information's presentation influences opinion formation
The law of primacy in persuasion, also known as a primacy effect, predicts that when a person encounters a topic for the first time, subsequent communication on the same topic produces less activation, and so the person will react according to the initial communication in an attempt to experience the higher activation
The law of primacy is also applicable in instructional design, where the first impression is important, and the initial piece of information is weighted more than subsequent pieces of information, leading to a primacy effect
. The law of primacy is also used in Take Flight Aviation, where they ensure that when a person walks through their doors, they learn what they came for the right way, the first time
#27:In a Social Studies class, it is not enough to teach the students to read maps, but it is better if they are also taught to calculate miles from inches. Later, that skill is reinforced when they will create their maps and map problems to solve.
