Edward Lee Thorndike (1874–1949) was an American psychologist. He is regarded for his work on comparative psychology and the learning process. He developed the theory of connectionism and helped lay the scientific foundation for educational psychology.
Born in Williamsburg, Massachusetts, Thorndike studied at Wesleyan University and then at Harvard. As a professor at Teachers College, Columbia (1904–40,) he formulated critical theories in educational psychology and animal learning psychology. He devised intelligence tests and stressed the effect of chance associations in educational processes.
Thorndike had a dominant impact on reinforcement theory and behavior analysis. His works include The Principles of Teaching (1905,) Psychology of Learning (1914,) and The Measurement of Intelligence (1926.)
During the civil unrest and protests against racism in 2020, Teachers College removed his name from Thorndike Hall on the Columbia campus because of Thorndike’s “racist, sexist, and anti-Semitic ideals.”
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Edward Thorndike
Colors fade, temples crumble, empires fall, but wise words endure.
—Edward Thorndike
Topics: Wisdom, Words
The function of intellect is to provide a means of modifying our reactions to the circumstances of life, so that we may secure pleasure, the symptom of welfare.
—Edward Thorndike
Topics: Welfare
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