Edward C. Tolman

Edward Chace Tolman ( born April 14, 1886 in West Newton, Massachusetts, † November 19, 1959 in Berkeley, California ) was an American psychologist. He was known for his work in the field of learning theory and is considered a pioneer of cognitivism.

Biography

Edward C. Tolman received his PhD in 1915 at Harvard University.

Until 1918 he held a teaching position at Northwestern University, where he dealt with issues of perception freedom of thought, of retroactive inhibition and similar memory phenomena.

From 1918 until 1954 he taught, apart from a few brief interruptions, at the University of California at Berkeley.

Later in his academic life he was strongly influenced by the ideas of Kurt Lewin and Egon Brunswik.

Work

Tolman is considered a representative of the Neobehaviorismus. In his book, purposive behavior in animals and men (1932 ) he transferred behaviorist methods to the study of "mental " processes of animals and humans. Tolman's theory of learning is referred to as cognitive. He led adopted, internal processes as Intervening variables between environmental stimuli ( stimulus ) and the behavior of the organism ( response) a. The consequences of the behavior ( at Tolman called not " gain" but " Confirmation") do not play a major role in Tolman's concept. (Three term contingency: - Response - Consequence stimulus ) therefore ultimately not release from the SR ( stimulus-response ) paradigm of classical behaviorism, as they then BF Skinner with the emphasis on the triple contingency he succeeded took place. However, it can be considered as a pioneer of cognitivism.

Particular importance gained his work on the learning of spatial contexts (so-called local learning) in rats in mazes. Based on these studies he concluded in the article Studies in spatial learning: II Place learning versus response learning (along with Ritchie and Kalish in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1946) that the behavior of the animals not only explains with a pure stimulus-response pattern can be, but needs to go through internal, cognitive processes in arriving. Here, the map will be a so-called cognitive map by hypotheses ( expectations, which the organism to a specific situation ) are either confirmed or rejected. Clark L. Hull explained these observations, however, beyond that achieved with the behavior of reduction of emotional tension. Tolman's work Cognitive maps in rats and men (1948 ) introduced the concept of the cognitive map, which is used widely in psychology today.

In his cognitive learning theory Tolman unified gestalt theoretical and behavioral fundamentals by delivering statements on internal cognitive processes, but these methodically examined objectively. As an " object" of particular interest to him was the so-called molar behavior (behavioral complexes), since in his opinion the extraction behavior of individual segments distort the overall picture and distracts from the essential.

By definition behavior for Tolman is purposeful, functional conducted, cognitive and molar. In addition to the local learning another important construct is the latent learning, was in the distinction for the first time in the psychology of learning between competence and performance. Here is portrayed ( and underpinned by a maze experiment ) that stored information may be present (competence ), without coming so far for execution (performance ). In the corresponding behavior is only resorted to when there is a need or compulsion. Learning thus is thus also independent of gain; only for execution requires a motivational component.

Finally, also decreased in 1950 published by BF Skinner Article Are theories of learning necessary? and the development of radical behaviorism interest in the further discussion of Tolman's hypotheses.

His main works include purposive Behavior in Animals and Men ( 1932) and drives toward War ( 1942).

Publications

• Tolman, E. C. (1922 ). A new formula for behaviorism. Psychological Review, Vol 29, p.44 - 53rd ( accessed on 1 July 2009)
• Tolman, E. C. ( 1926). A behavioristic theory of ideas. Psychological Review, Vol 33 ( 5), S.352 - 369th
• Tolman, E. C. (1927 ). A behaviorist 's definition of consciousness, Psychological Review, Vol 34, S.433 - 439th
• Tolman, E. C.; Honzik, C. H. (1930 ) "Insight" in rats. Univ. Calif.. Publ Psychol, Vol 4, p.215 - 232.
• Tolman, E. C. ( 1932). Purposive behavior in animals and men. New York: The Century Co.
• Tolman, E. C.; Hall, C. S.; Bretnall, E. P. ( 1932). A disproof of the law of effect and a substitution of the laws of emphasis, motivation and disruption, J. Exper. Psychol, Vol 15, S.601 - 614.
• Tolman, E. C. ( 1933). Form and sign - gestalt, Psychological Review, Vol 40, S.391 -411
• Tolman, E. C.; Krechevsky, I. ( 1933). Means -end - readiness and hypothesis - a contribution to comparative psychology, Psychological Review, Vol 40, p.60 -70.
• Tolman, E. C. ( 1933). The law of effect: a reply to Dr. Goodenough, J. Exper. Psychol, Vol 16, S.459 - 462.
• Tolman, E. C.; Brunswik, E. ( 1935). The organism and the causal texture of the environment. (PDF, 1.7 MB) Psychological Review, Vol 42, p.43 -47.
• Tolman, E. C. (1935 ). Psychology vs. immediate experience, Philos. Science, Vol 2, S.356 - 380th
• Tolman, C. E. (1936). Distance- preferentials. A new apparatus and some results, Psychol Bull, vol 33, S.727.
• Tolman, C. E. (1936). Operational behaviorism and current trends in psychology. Proc. 25th Anniv. Celebration Inaug. Degree Student, Los Angeles: The University of Southern California, p.89 -103.
• Tolman, E. C. (1942 ). Drives towards was. New York: Appleton - Century- Crofts.
• Tolman, E. C. (1948 ). Cognitive maps in rats and men. Psychological Review, Vol 55, p.189 - 208. ( accessed on 1 July 2009)
• Tolman, E. C. (1949 ). There is more than one kind of learning. Psychological Review, Vol 56 ( 3), p.144 - 155th
• Tolman, E. C. ( 1952). A cognition motivation model. Psychological Review, Vol 59 (5), S.389 -400.

• Psychologist
• Americans
• Born in 1886
• Died in 1959
• Man
• Member of the American Psychological Association