As a Young Doctoral Student, Edward Thorndike Set the Stage

Essay

As a young doctoral student, Edward Thorndike set the stage for the emergence of operant conditioning. Describe the research that Thorndike conducted with cats in a puzzle box. How did the cats behave at first when they wanted to reach a scrap of fish that was just outside the box? What happened over time? What conclusions did Thorndike reach? Although B. F. Skinner expanded on Thorndike's principles, Skinner avoided some terminology because it implied assumptions that Skinner felt were inappropriate. What changes did Skinner make?