Jou nal o Resea ch and De elopmen
Pee Re iewed In e na ional, Open Access Jou nal.
ISSN : 2230-9578 | Websi e: h ps://j d b.o g Volume-17, Issue-10| Oc obe - 2025
1
Tho ndike's Theo y in mode n educa ion Kazi Ami Soyel
S/o Kazi Nu ul Islam Ha ishchak, Khanakul, Hooghly Bcom ( Hons.)(C.U) D el ed (WBBPE)
Email: kaziami [email protected]
Manusc ip ID:
JRD -2025-171001
ISSN: 2230-9578
Volume 17
Issue 10
Pp. 1-3
Oc obe . 2025
Submi ed: 15 sep . 2025
Re ised: 25 sep . 2025
Accep ed: 10 oc . 2025
Published: 31 Oc . 2025
Abs ac Tho ndike's in elligence heo y is used in mode n educa ion because i belie es ha in elligence
is no a single elemen , bu a combina ion o a ious men al powe s. Using he p inciples o his heo y,
leache s can each s uden s based on di e en powe s and skills and each hem acco ding o hei
speci ic needs. I is used in mode n educa ion o iden i y he indi idual abili y o he s uden s and o ain
acco ding o hei weaknesses and s eng hs. Tho ndike gi es an idea ha i is made up o h ee di e en
elemen s: abs ac , mechanical and social. This idea helps eache s o iden i y s uden s' skills and
in e es s, including abs ac hough s, mechanical wo k, and social ela ions. Based on his in o ma ion,
eache s can de e mine he app op ia e eaching me hod o he s uden s on he basis o in e es and skills.
Keywo ds: Emphasis on s imula ion and eac ion, Impac law, E o co ec ing, Repea and p ac ice,
Applied in Teaching, Tho ndike's Connec ionism, T ial and E o Theo y, Fo mula o Tho ndike,
cha ac e is ics o lea ning h ough ial and e o .
In oduc ion:
Emphasis on s imula ion and eac ion:
Tho ndike's heo y o heo y emphasizes he connec ion be ween s imulus and eac ion,
which is ele an in mode n educa ion. Teache s c ea e he cu iculum in such a way ha he
co ec esponse o he s uden s is c ea ed om he speci ic s imulus o wo k. Impac o Law: I
ac s as an e ec i e me hod o s uden s. When he eache ewa ded in an co ec answe o
good wo k, he s uden s a e encou aged o do ha beha io again and again.
E o co ec ing:
When he s uden s make a mis ake, hey quickly co ec i and e u n he igh pa h. The eache
should iden i y he cause o he mis akes and a ange o quick co ec ion so ha he s uden s do
no make he same mis ake again and again.
Repea and p ac ice:
Repea edly p ac iced and epea ed o expo a pa icula beha io o knowledge among he
s uden s.
Applied in eaching:
Tho ndike’s heo y has made he mode n educa ion sys em mo e obse able-based and esul -
cen e ed. Teache s can e alua e s uden s' pe o mance and co ec he mis akes quickly.
Educa ional echniques based on his heo y help o make educa ion mo e e ec i e and s uden -
iendly.
Tho ndike connec ionism:
Ame ican psychologis Edwa d Lee Tho ndike explained he ial and e o echnique by
es ablishing a connec ion be ween s imulus and esponse. He conduc ed a ious expe imen s on
lea ning in a ious animals and published his heo y on lea ning in he jou nal 'Animal
In elligence'. Acco ding o him, "Lea ning is due o he connec ion s imulus and esponse." Tha
is, lea ning is he es ablishmen o he app op ia e connec ion be ween s imulus and esponse.
This is why his heo y is called addi i ism.
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Add ess o co espondence:
Kazi Ami Soyel, S/o Kazi Nu ul Islam Ha ishchak, Khanakul, Hooghly Bcom ( Hons.)(C.U) D el ed
(WBBPE)
How o ci e his a icle:
Kazi Ami Soyel, (2025). Tho ndike's Theo y in mode n educa ion Jou nal o Resea ch &
De elopmen , 17(10), 1-3.
O iginal A icle
Jou nal o Resea ch and De elopmen
Pee Re iewed In e na ional, Open Access Jou nal.
ISSN : 2230-9578 | Websi e: h ps://j d b.o g Volume-17, Issue-10| Oc obe - 2025
2
Acco ding o Tho ndike, lea ning is c ea ed by he connec ion o se e al men al uni s such as sensa ion, pe cep ion,
ep esen a ion, e c. This is called associa ionism.
Tes ing Tho ndike's T ial and E o Theo y:
Acco ding o Tho ndike, animals lea n h ough epea ed ials and e o s. Tho ndike conduc ed expe imen s on dogs,
ca s, humans, e c., bu his expe imen on hung y ca s is pa icula ly no able. In he i s s age, when an animal ies o
lea n some hing, i makes mis akes, and lea ning occu s h ough a g adual educ ion in he le el o hose mis akes and a
change in i s ac ual beha io .
To conduc a ial and e o expe imen , he placed a hung y ca in a cage and placed ood ( ish) ou side. The cage had a
doo ha had o be opened by p essing a le e mechanism a a speci ic poin on he cage.
The hung y ca in he cage, upon seeing ood, began o un a ound aimlessly and chao ically. A e ying in ain o
some ime, i suddenly s epped on a le e mechanism in a ce ain place and he doo opened.
He epea ed he expe imen a second ime. The ca beha ed as aimlessly and wi hou plan as be o e. Suddenly, he doo
opened unde his oo and he ca came ou and a e he ood.
Tho ndike obse ed ha he ca had no e ec on sol ing he p oblem he i s ime. I jus sol ed he p oblem o ge ing
ou o he cage wi h ewe a emp s and in less ime han he i s ime.
The hi d expe imen equi ed ewe a emp s and less ime. A e epea ing he expe imen se e al imes, Tho ndike
obse ed ha he ca 's unsuccess ul a emp s g adually dec eased.
Finally, i was seen ha a e pu ing he ca in he cage, i would e o lessly open he doo by p essing a speci ic spo ,
come ou , and ea ood wi hou any w ong e o . This means ha he ca 's lea ning was comple ed.
Judging by he esul s o Tho ndike's expe imen , se e al s ages o he lea ning p ocess can be ound.
The s ages a e:
1. chase
2. aim
3. ba ie
4. Aimless e o
5. Sudden success
6. Choosing he igh me hod
7. De e mining he co ec me hodos
The ca has lea ned o associa e a s imulus wi h a esponse h ough ial and e o . Fo mula o Tho ndike:
He desc ibed h ee main p inciples and i e seconda y p inciples ega ding how di e en animals eac o p oblema ic
si ua ions and how hey lea n.
Tho ndike's main o mula
(1) Law o eadiness
(2) Law o e ec
(3) Law o exe cise
(1) The Law eadiness: Tho ndike has men ioned physical p epa a ion as he main p inciple o lea ning. Acco ding o
him, he pe son needs o be physically p epa ed o es ablish a connec ion be ween a s imulus and i s app op ia e
esponse. I he pe son is eady o es ablish he connec ion, hen he will eel sa is ied i he is allowed o es ablish he
connec ion. I he pe son is eady, hen he will eel annoyed i he is o ced o es ablish he connec ion.
(2) Law o e ec : I he esul o he modi iable associa ion o s imulus (S) and esponse (R) is pleasan o enjoyable
o he lea ne , hen he associa ion is s ong, i.e. he S-R bond is s ong. On he o he hand, i he esul o he
associa ion is unpleasan o annoying, hen he associa ion (S-R bond) is weak.
3) Law o exe cise:
This o mula is di ided in o wo pa s:
Usage o mula: S imulus, lea ing all condi ions unchanged,Once he changeable bond be ween he eac ion and he
s imulus is es ablished, he s eng h o ha connec ion will inc ease i p ac iced epea edly.
Sou ce o abuse: no a iable s imulus- esponse ,A e es ablishing a bond, i hey do no p ac ice o a long ime, hei
bond g adually weakens.
Tho ndike's seconda y o mula
(1) Men al p epa a ion o mula: Men al p epa a ion o a pe son is especially necessa y o doing any wo k. Tha is,
p epa a ion in e ms o mo i a ion, in e es , a en ion, in elligence, memo y, e c. is especially impo an .
(2) The mul iple esponse p inciple: In ial and e o lea ning, animals y o sol e p oblems by esponding o he same
s imulus in di e en ways be o e making he co ec esponse. This is he mul iple esponse p inciple.
(3) Pa ial esponse p inciple: Acco ding o Tho ndike, animals do no espond based on he o e all si ua ion. While
esponding, animals. Reac pa -wise and mo e owa ds he whole.
Jou nal o Resea ch and De elopmen
Pee Re iewed In e na ional, Open Access Jou nal.
ISSN : 2230-9578 | Websi e: h ps://j d b.o g Volume-17, Issue-10| Oc obe - 2025
3
(4) Analogy P inciple: Acco ding o Tho ndike's p inciple, when an animal encoun e s a new p oblema ic si ua ion, i
inds pa ial simila i ies wi h a p e ious si ua ion. I ies o ind a solu ion by eac ing o he p oblem in he same way
i eac ed o i in he pas .
(5) Associa i e lea ning heo y: Tho ndike, in his associa i e lea ning heo y, said ha when an animal is able o make
a esponse app op ia e o a s imulus, ha esponse can be associa ed wi h any s imulus.
Cha ac e is ics o lea ning h ough ial and e o :
When we analyze Tho ndike's ' ial and e o ' heo y, we ind some cha ac e is ics. The cha ac e is ics o his lea ning
s a egy a e-
(1) Sel -ac i i y
(2) Repe i ion
(3) Conscious o pu pose
(4) Mul iple eac ions
(5) Pa ial esponse
(6) Bio-psychological p epa a ion
(7) Resul s
(8) Analogy-based esponse
(9) Dec easing numbe and ime o a emp s
(10) Uni e sal
(11) Mo ing om he known o he unknown
Conclusion:
In he mode n educa ion sys em, he conclusion o Tho nadike's heo y is ha i is based on he 'e o and w ong' and
'connec ionism' based on he 'connec ionism', whe e lea ning is done by es ablishing he co ec connec ion be ween
s imulus and eac ion. This heo y has made mode n educa ion mo e e ec i e because i emphasizes he impo ance o
he s uden 's' p epa a ion 'o in e es ,' p ac ice 'o epea ed e o s and' impac 'o ' awa d 'o punishmen , which
imp o es he s uden s' lea ning p ocess. Tho dike has shown ha he lea ning is a connec ion be ween he s imulus and
he eac ion. In he mode n educa ion sys em, he eache helps he s uden s o es ablish p ope connec ion and
encou aged o co ec he mis akes. Be o e s a ing any wo k, he s uden 's physical and men al p epa a ion is
emphasized, which is used o inc ease he in e es and a en ion o he s uden s in he mode n class. The eache adop ed
a ious s a egies o p epa e s uden s o lea n. Tho dike's heo y laid he basis o beha io al eaching sys em, which is
an impo an pa o mode n educa ion. I has been possible o analyze he lea ning p ocess in a scien i ic way, and he
connec ions a e s eng hened by epea ed p ac ice o epe i ion. In he mode n educa ion sys em, he applica ion o his
p inciple is seen, whe e s uden s a e help ul o mas e some hing h ough habi . In mode n educa ion, he lea ning is
s eng hened by using posi i e esul s (eg, p aise) o co ec esponse (eg, a oiding nega i e esul s), he heo y o
Tho dike has laid he ounda ion o beha io al eaching sys em, which is an impo an pa o mode n educa ion. I has
been possible o analyze he lea ning p ocess in a scien i ic way.
Re e ences:
1. A. Wool olk - Educa ional Psychology - Pea son Educa ion
2. J. W. San ock Educa ional Psychology Mc G ay Hill
3. J. C. Agga wal - Essen ials o Educa ional Psychology Vikas publishe
4. S. K. Mangal - Essen ials o Educa ional Psychology PHI L d.
5. S. K. Mangal - Ad anced Educa ional Psychology PHI L d
6. S. S. Chauhan - Ad anced Educa ional Psychology Vikas publishe
7. E. B. Hu lock - Child De elopmen - Anmol
8. Publica ion P . L d
9. L. E. Be k - Child De elopmen - PHI L d
10. In e ne Sou ces
