Lectures on Theories of Learning

Lectures on Theories of Learning explores the maze of conditioning principles and concepts that guided research in American experimental psychology in the twentieth century. The main trails on our journey are the historical theories of learning: —Edward Thorndike and the laws of learning —Ivan Pavlov and classical conditioning —John Watson and the first behaviorism —Edwin Guthrie and one-trial learning —Edward Tolman and the cognitive map —Clark Hull and drive reduction —Donald Hebb and physiological psychology —B. F. Skinner and radical behaviorism Each trail leads to further intellectual excursions: —orientations in the study of learning —operationism and fallibilism —habituation and sensitization —a primer on operant conditioning —schedules of reinforcement —the uses and abuses of punishment —escape and avoidance learning There are no blind alleys in Lectures on Theories of Learning as it sagely winds its way through the history of American psychology. From the commencement in lecture 1 to the conclusions in lecture 15, students will experience an informed and informal journey of psychological discoveries and intellectual enrichment.