Edward Tolman Behaviorist Perspective

Edward Tolman- Behaviorist Views Edward Tolman (1886-1959) was a purposive behaviorist whose approach to modern psychology became extremely important to cognitive learning. Tolman, who studied molar behaviors, was of the opinion that individuals do more than respond to stimuli. This theory was due to the fact that individuals act upon changing conditions, attitudes, beliefs, and striving toward goals. Tolman is one of the few behaviorists that considered the stimulus-response theory to be insupportable because reinforcement is not needed in order to learn. This paper will provide insight into Tolman’s theory of purposive behaviorism and cognitive maps. The paper will also explore the following studies: Blocked-Path Study, A Place Learning Study, Expectation Study, and A Latent Learning Experiment. One of the most significant factors of purposive behaviorism is that studying of an animal’s behavior and not the mind are important. Purposive behaviorism believes in experimentation and observation as methods of learning and not introspection. Tolman’s work in purposive behaviorism has often been considered to be the bridge between cognitive theory and behaviorism. He believed that learning happens through meaningful behavior. His idea of behaviorism …show more content…
In a mental map, information that is considered to be unimportant or irrelevant is generally excluded. A cognitive map may be very different from the real place. The differences between the physical characteristics and the mental representation of a place will reveal what animals and people consider to be essential. Tolman first introduced the concept of cognitive maps when he was performing experiments involving mazes and rats. He discovered that place learning leads to the development of a complete cognitive map of the maze. Once a subject has familiarized himself the environment, and then the goal can be reached from any