Thorndike Set Up Experiments in Which Cats Escaped from Puzzle

question 125

Multiple Choice

Thorndike set up experiments in which cats escaped from puzzle boxes. He argued that learning by the cats was not due to insight or understanding, because if it were

• A) the cats would have learned more slowly than they did.
• B) the cats should have escaped on the first trial.
• C) speed of escaping would have increased suddenly on some trial and remained fast on later trials.
• D) reinforcement would not have been necessary.

---

Definitions:

Personal Dispositions

are inherent qualities of individual personality that influence behavior and attitudes.

Political Liberals

Individuals who generally support progressive reforms, individual rights, and a greater role for government in society for the sake of equality.

Role Playing

The act of imitating the character and behavior of someone who is different from oneself, often as a learning tool or in therapy.

Foot-In-The-Door Phenomenon

A tactic for getting a person to agree to a large request by first setting them up to agree to a modest request.