Why Did Thorndike Conclude That His Cats Learned by Strengthening

question 162

Multiple Choice

Why did Thorndike conclude that his cats learned by strengthening certain response tendencies, rather than by gaining an understanding or insight?

• A) The cats were only able to solve the puzzle boxes with assistance.
• B) The cats escaped the box equally rapidly, regardless of whether or not they were given positive reinforcements.
• C) The cats took a long time to escape from the puzzle box the first time but were quick on all later trials.
• D) The cats increased their speed of escaping from one trial to the next gradually, not suddenly.