EDUC 202

Seminar on Psychology

Significant
Contribution in
Psychology
Lewis Terman and Edward Thorndike

ANABELLE ABAÑO
Instructor MANETTE S. EGAR
Discussant
1877- 1956
 Lewis Madison Terman
was the 12th of 14 children born on
January 15, 1877 to a farming family
in Indiana. While few of his peers
studied past the 8th-grade, Terman
was both bookish and ambitious. His
early experiences were perhaps
what fueled his later passion for
studying intelligence and giftedness
.
 Lewis Madison Terman
Best known for:
 Influential Psychologist
 Educational Psychology
Pioneer
 Eugenics
 Stanford-Binet Intelligence
Test
 Genetic Studies of Genius
 Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test
• Terman published the Stanford Revision of the
Binet-Simon Scale in 1916 and revisions were
released in 1937 and 1960.
• Stanford-Binet is an aid for the classification of
developmentally disabled children.
• use as a measure of general intelligence for
both adults and for children.
• The first mass administration of IQ testing was
done with 1.7 million soldiers during World
War.
 Lewis Madison Terman
• He defined intelligence as "the
ability to carry on abstract
thinking" (Journal of Educational
Psychology, 1921)
• He used the label IQ or
Intelligence Quotient, which had
been suggested earlier by the
German psychologist William
Stern.
 Genetic Studies of Genius
In 1921, Terman began his "Genetic
Studies of Genius," a longitudinal
study that set out to investigate
whether high IQ students were more
successful in life. What he found was
that his high IQ subjects (which he
referred to as "Termites") tended to
be healthier, taller, and more socially
adapted than other kids.
 Genetic Studies of Genius
• Terman's classic research on
gifted children began in 1921
when he started to study the
development of 1,500 California
children whose IQs were over
140. Scores over 140 fall into
the top 0.5 percent of the
population.
 Lewis Madison Terman
played an important role in the
early development of educational
psychology and his intelligence test
became one of the most widely
used psychological assessments in
the world. He advocated for
support and guidance for kids
identified as gifted in order to
nurture their talents and abilities.
1874- 1949
 Edward Lee Thorndike
was an American psychologist who spent
nearly his entire career at 
Teachers College, Columbia University. Edward
Thorndike had a powerful impact on
reinforcement theory and behavior analysis,
providing the basic framework for empirical
laws in behavior psychology with his 
law of effect. Through his contributions to the
behavioral psychology field came his major
impacts on education, where the law of effect
has great influence in the classroom.
 Edward Lee Thorndike
Best known for:
 Often called the Father of
Modern Educational Psychology
 Animal Research
 Trial-and-Error Theory of
Learning
 The Law of Effect
 Animal Research
• Thorndike was a pioneer not only in
behaviorism and in studying learning, but also
in using animals in clinical experiments.
Thorndike was able to create a theory of
learning based on his research with animals
• Thorndike was interested in whether animals
could learn tasks through imitation or
observation
• Thorndike created puzzle boxes.
The Puzzle Box
 Edward Thorndike: The Law of Learning
One of the pioneers of educational psychology,
E.L. Thorndike formulated three laws of
learning in the early 20th century. [Figure 2-7]
These laws are universally accepted and apply
to all kinds of learning: The Primary Laws are:
the law of readiness, the law of exercise, and
the law of effect. Since Thorndike set down his
laws, three more have been added: the law of
primacy, the law of intensity, and the law of
recency
 PRIMARY LAWS OF LEARNING

Law of Readiness Law of Effect

Law of Exercise
 Law of Readiness
• This law refers to the fact that
learning takes place only
when the learner is prepared
to learn.
• Mental preparation for action
 Law of Readiness
EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
 The law draws the attention of teacher to the
motivation of the child.
 The teacher must consider the psycho-biological
readiness of the students to ensure successful
learning.
 Curriculum/Learning experiences should be
according to the mental level of maturity of the
child.
 Law of Exercise
• It states that exercise or
practice reinforce learning.
• This place significance on
drill, repetition and review.
 Law of Exercise
Two Parts:
LAW OF USE - The learning is
strengthened with repeated trial or
practice.

LAW OF DISUSE - learnings are

weaken when trial or practice
discontinued
 Law of Exercise
EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
 The teacher should provide different opportunities
for learners to practice or repeat the task (recall,
manual drill, review, etc.)
 The teacher should have constant practice in what
has been learn. Delayed use or long disuse may lost
forgetfulness.
 Law of Effect
• It states that learning is strengthened if
it gives satisfaction to the learner.
• It is weakened if it gives annoyance to
the learner.
• The implication is that teachers should
make learning sessions as enjoyable as
possible.
 Law of Effect
EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
 As a failure accompanied by a discouraging
emotional state, it should be avoided.
 Rewards and recognition play a great role in
encouraging the pupil.
 Punishment should be avoided as far as possible.
Punishment produces a negative effect, and it causes
a discouragement.
 SECONDARY LAWS OF LEARNING

Law of Primary Law of Intensity

Law of Recency
 Law of Primacy
• Learning that takes place in the
beginning is the best and lasting.
• Learning should be done
correctly for the first time since it
is difficult to “unlearn” or change
an incorrectly learned material.
 Law of Recency
• Things most recently learned are
best remembered, while the
things learned some time ago
are remembered with more
difficulty.
• Frequent review and
summarization help fix in the
mind the material covered.
 Law of Intensity
• It states that if the stimulus
(experience) is real, the more
likely there is to be a change in
behavior (learning).
• A vivid, dramatic or exciting
learning experience teaches
more than a routine or boring
experience.
References:
https://
www.simplypsychology.org/edward-thorndike.html
https://www.verywellmind.com/Edward-thorndike-
biography-1874-1949-2795525
https://
www.verywellmind.com/lewis-terman-biography-2795
523
https://www.Britannica.com/biography/Lewis-Terman