Edward C. Tolman: Biography And Theories

If we talk about psychology, we talk about cognition, and if we talk about cognition, we talk about Edward C. Tolman. Behavioral psychology has given us great authors, but during the transitional period that took place between the 19th and 20th centuries, this branch was not completely defined. In this article, we invite you to explore and learn about the biography and theories of one of the leading authors who studied cognition from the context of behavioral psychology.

The first behavioral studies were carried out in laboratories with animals, mainly rodents. Tolman’s goal was the acquisition of methods that would allow us to understand human and animal behavior. To do this, he tried to show that animals could learn and modify their behavior based on environmental conditions. Now, how exactly were these investigations?

Edward C. Tolman, Biography of a Scientific Psychologist

Edward Chace Tolman was an American psychologist born in Massachusetts in 1886. He passed through the renowned institutions of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University and the University of California. He was awarded for his scientific contributions by the American Psychological Association (APA) and received various awards in the scientific field.

An author between two paths

Between 1920 and 1930, experimental psychology was in the midst of a process of radicalization. While some researchers clung to cognitive theory, directly influenced by Gestalt; others took the path of Watson and Thorndike’s behaviorism.

Tolman, far from opting for one of the two paradigms, tried to reconcile both approaches. At present, he is regarded as a cognitive behavioral psychologist.

Neo-behaviorism

During a stay in Germany, he fed on Gestalt ideas. This is why the development of general theories through precise questions that explained animal behavior.

The main ideas of Tolman’s new approach, later taken up by authors such as Skinner, are based on the basic foundations of behaviorism :

• Environmentalism : highlights the role of the environment in the development of capacities, faculties and states of mind through learning.
• Mechanization : repetitive association is considered by classical conditioning as the basis of learning.
• Conditioning : process by which a stimulus that causes an organic response is associated with any event.

Tolman’s approach

Edward C. Tolman’s theories differ from Watson’s more orthodox approach by studying phenomena that are not entirely observable, such as love or empathy.

The theory of mind maps, one of the most recognized, is based on the design of mazes to be used with rats. Consequently, this theory is applied to explain the behavior of both animals and humans.

Mind maps

These maps, also called cognitive maps, are based on two fundamental ideas:

• Purposes : that is, the persistence or desire of the animal to find and organize certain behaviors in order to obtain a goal.
• Cognition : understanding of the animal about the environment and the relationship between the means and ends of things.

Edward C. Tolman discovered that if you put a rat in a maze, after a process of trial and error, it would run out of the device. But in addition, the rat also managed to swim out of the maze when it was full of water.

In conclusion, the rat had not learned a succession of muscular movements, but a map or mental representation of the situation in order to get out.

Tolman’s discoveries and theories

• Purposeful behavior : animals seem to tend to achieve goals and this is reflected in a constant need to interact with the environment and, more precisely, with surrounding objects.
• Tendency to certain behaviors : according to Tolman, animals tend to discover and choose the easiest and most effective solutions. This behavior derives from the knowledge of the consequences on the part of the animal. Likewise, these findings were instrumental in describing human reward systems.

Learning, central axis of theories

For Tolman, learning could occur in the absence of obvious rewards, such as food or drink. The theory of latent learning was demonstrated through experiments in which different groups of rats had to complete a maze with a reward, but also in the absence of it. Groups that had no reward learned to get out of the maze and when a reward was awarded, they did so with fewer mistakes, but using the learned mind map without reward.

Tolman’s influence is enormous and his legacy has served as an inspiration to many scientists and researchers. Thus, many authors drank from his theories to formulate their own experiments and conclusions.

One of the most notable examples is his influence on Daniel Kahneman’s decision theory. Likewise, the concept of the cognitive map is still in force in various fields of psychology and academic research.

Edward C. Tolman passed away on November 19, 1959 at the age of 73. He is considered one of the most influential figures in behavioral psychology. His students and followers described him as a sane man full of scientific interest.

Beyond the awards received, the author showed us the validity and importance of not taking extremist positions in the field of science. Its recognition underlies the integration of concepts from a holistic paradigm, such as Gestalt, at a time when behaviorism was structuralist and orthodox.