Trial and Error Learning

Question 1

Trial and Error Learning is

Answer 1

Learning by trying alternative possibilities until the desired outcome is achieved. Involves a number of attempts and a number of incorrect choices before the desired outcome is achieved.

Question 2

Law of Effect states

Answer 2

that behaviour becomes controlled by its consequences – if it feels good, we do it again; if it feels bad (or has no outcome at all), we don’t. This law is now accepted as the definition of operant conditioning.

Question 3

IV and DV:

Answer 3

IV: Food reward and puzzle box

DV: Time taken to escape the puzzle box, hence how long it took the cat to learn how to escape

Question 4

Hypothesis

Answer 4

It can be hypothesised that hungry cats when placed in a puzzle box with a food reward outside will use trial and error learning when trying to escape the box so that the time taken for the hungry cat to escape the box will progressively shorten until it becomes a deliberate movement.

Question 5

Type of Data:

Answer 5

Quantitative