Question

Tolman’s theory of purposive behaviourism is known as
1. Sign-gestalt theory 
2. Law of varied reactions
3. Theory of Trial and Error
4. Law of Associative shifting 
5.

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 1 : Sign-gestalt theory 

Tolman's Sign Gestalt:​.

• Edward Tolman's sign theory, introduced in the 1930s is a neo-behaviorist theory that presents a bridge to cognitivism, which is emphasized in its other names: purposive behaviorism, cognitive behaviorism, sign-gestalt theory, or expectancy theory.
• Learning, according to Tolman, is the acquisition of knowledge through meaningful behavior. 

• In order to facilitate the learning process, Tolman proposes three basic components to be employed:

  • the significant, that is the desired outcome, goal, or behavior,
  • the sign, referring to the stimuli that prompt learners to take action, and
  • means-end relations, referring to a learner's internal thought.
• Tolman believed individuals do more than merely respond to stimuli; they act on beliefs, attitudes, changing conditions, and they strive toward goals. Tolman is virtually the only behaviorists who found the stimulus-response theory unacceptable because reinforcement was not necessary for learning to occur.
• He put forth the notion that there are three parts of learning which work together as a gestalt. Those three parts are- the significant, the sign, and the means-end – relation.
• The sign learning theory presents learning as the acquisition of knowledge through meaningful behavior (Tolman, 1948). Tolman viewed learning (and behavior) on a molar level, that is, as whole, purposeful, and goal driven rather than on a molecular level as mere physiological responses

Tolman’s experiments include:

• Experiment on reward expectancy: in animal experiments, Tolman and his associates trained subjects to learn a maze with a preferred food as a reward. They observed that if they switched to a less preferred reward, the rats displayed disgust. If the reward is absent or changed, the behavior is disrupted but is not considered a reinforcer of correct behavior.
• The experiment of place learning: demonstrate the existence of spatial expectations. T maze –rat starts at different location but reward always in the same end of the maze. The rats develop a wider spatial map that includes more than just the specific trained paths. They found out that rats not only develop a narrow map of the correct route, but a very wide map of the overall layout.

Laws of learning by Tolman

• Capacity law: This relates to traits, characteristics, and aptitudes of the learner which determine the type of tasks and situations which can be mastered successfully.
• Stimulus law: It deals with conditions inherent in the material itself such as the belongingness of its parts and how successfully it leads to an insightful solution.
• Laws concerning the manner of presentation: It is concerned with the manner of presentation of material such as frequency of presentation, distribution of practice, and use of rewards.