Edward Thorndike's Contributions to Psychology

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Biography

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Contributions to Psychology

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Edward Thorndike was an influential psychologist often referred to as the founder of moderneducational psychology. He was perhaps best known for his famous puzzle box experiments with cats, which led to the development of the law of effect.

At a GlanceEdward Thorndike was an early psychologist who introduced the law of effect and became known as the founder of modern educational psychology. Thorndike’s theory had a significant impact on the behavioral school of thought, particularly B. F. Skinner’s theory ofoperant conditioning.

At a Glance

Edward Thorndike was an early psychologist who introduced the law of effect and became known as the founder of modern educational psychology. Thorndike’s theory had a significant impact on the behavioral school of thought, particularly B. F. Skinner’s theory ofoperant conditioning.

Edward Thorndike: A Brief Biography

He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1895 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Thorndike then enrolled at Harvard University to study English and French literature.

Eventually, Thorndike transferred to Columbia University where he studied under the guidance of psychologistJames McKeen Cattell. It was in his doctoral dissertation that he first introduced his law of effect.

After earning his PhD from Columbia in 1898, Thorndike briefly took a position as an Assistant Professor of Pedagogy at Case Western Reserve University. In the year 1900, Thorndike married Elizabeth Moulton.

He then worked as a psychology professor at the Teachers College at Columbia University where he continued to teach for the rest of his career. He died on August 9, 1949.

Edward Thorndike’s Work and Theories

Thorndike is perhaps best-known for the theory he called the law of effect, which emerged from his research on how cats learn to escape from puzzle boxes.

What Is the Law of Effect?

Adult Learning Research

Thorndike’s work also focused on the study of adult learning. He did work for the U.S. Army during World War I and participated in the development of the Army Beta tests.

He described three primary components of intellectual development: abstract intelligence, mechanical intelligence, and social intelligence.

Thorndike’s Contributions to Psychology

Thorndike had a tremendous impact on many different schools of psychology, including behaviorsim, Gestalt psychology, and comparative psychology. His contributions also had a tremendous impact on education and our understanding of learning in childhood and adulthood.

Through his work and theories, Thorndike became strongly associated with the American school of thought known as functionalism. Other prominent functionalist thinkers included Harvey Carr, James Rowland Angell, andJohn Dewey.

While he was associated with this school of thought, his work had a significant impact on the rise ofbehaviorismthrough the first half of the 20th century.

Thorndike is also often referred to as the founder of modern-day educational psychology and published several books on the subject.

His research was also significant for becoming some of the first lab research on animal learning. His emphasis on analyzing data quantitatively was also notable since much of the research during this time focused on providing descriptive information.

Thorndike was elected president of theAmerican Psychological Associationin 1912 and became one of the first psychologists admitted to the National Academy of Sciences in 1917.

Thorndike’s contributions changed how researchers understood the learning process, and many of his methods and ideas are still taught in psychology courses today. Despite these contributions, it is important to note that his work was not without criticism.

He was also known for holding sexist, racist, and antisemitic views. Thorndike also promoted eugenics, a controversial and discredited movement that suggested encouraging reproduction of individuals with so-called ‘desirable traits’ and preventing reproduction among those with ‘undesirable traits.’

In 2020, Teachers' College in New York voted to rename the school’s Thorndike Hall. The plaque devoted to Thorndike was also relocated to a location where students could learn more about the history of his problematic beliefs.

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Thomson G.Prof. Edward l. Thorndike.Nature. 1949;164(4168):474-474. doi:10.1038/164474a0Athalye VR, Santos FJ, Carmena JM, Costa RM.Evidence for a neural law of effect.Science. 2018;359(6379):1024-1029. doi:10.1126/science.aao6058Olson MH, Hergenhahn BR.An Introduction to Theories of Personality. 9th ed. Prentice Hall/Pearson; 2021.Teachers College Columbia University.Important announcement from the president and chair of the board of trustees.Additional ReadingLuebering JE, ed.Edward L. Thorndike.Encyclopædia Britannica. Updated August 27, 2019.Nolan JL, ed.Functionalism.Encyclopædia Britannica.

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Thomson G.Prof. Edward l. Thorndike.Nature. 1949;164(4168):474-474. doi:10.1038/164474a0Athalye VR, Santos FJ, Carmena JM, Costa RM.Evidence for a neural law of effect.Science. 2018;359(6379):1024-1029. doi:10.1126/science.aao6058Olson MH, Hergenhahn BR.An Introduction to Theories of Personality. 9th ed. Prentice Hall/Pearson; 2021.Teachers College Columbia University.Important announcement from the president and chair of the board of trustees.Additional ReadingLuebering JE, ed.Edward L. Thorndike.Encyclopædia Britannica. Updated August 27, 2019.Nolan JL, ed.Functionalism.Encyclopædia Britannica.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Thomson G.Prof. Edward l. Thorndike.Nature. 1949;164(4168):474-474. doi:10.1038/164474a0Athalye VR, Santos FJ, Carmena JM, Costa RM.Evidence for a neural law of effect.Science. 2018;359(6379):1024-1029. doi:10.1126/science.aao6058Olson MH, Hergenhahn BR.An Introduction to Theories of Personality. 9th ed. Prentice Hall/Pearson; 2021.Teachers College Columbia University.Important announcement from the president and chair of the board of trustees.

Thomson G.Prof. Edward l. Thorndike.Nature. 1949;164(4168):474-474. doi:10.1038/164474a0

Athalye VR, Santos FJ, Carmena JM, Costa RM.Evidence for a neural law of effect.Science. 2018;359(6379):1024-1029. doi:10.1126/science.aao6058

Olson MH, Hergenhahn BR.An Introduction to Theories of Personality. 9th ed. Prentice Hall/Pearson; 2021.

Teachers College Columbia University.Important announcement from the president and chair of the board of trustees.

Luebering JE, ed.Edward L. Thorndike.Encyclopædia Britannica. Updated August 27, 2019.Nolan JL, ed.Functionalism.Encyclopædia Britannica.

Luebering JE, ed.Edward L. Thorndike.Encyclopædia Britannica. Updated August 27, 2019.

Nolan JL, ed.Functionalism.Encyclopædia Britannica.

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