Dear all,
Thank you for all the support and encouragement. I
am getting good responses from different parts of the world. I am so overwhelmed
that felt to start today’s blog with a heartfelt reply.
“Thank you
for motivating me.”
Today’s blog is about a wonderful learning theory
from psychology postulated by…... Wolfgang Kohler, a German Gestalt
psychologist.
In our day
to day life we experience the various theories and the ways in which we try to
learn things. Insight learning theory is very close to my heart as I believe a
lot in the concept of subconscious mind….so let’s go ahead and discuss it in
detail!
Max Wertheimer is the father of Gestalt Theory. Later,
Wertheimer’s theory was further refined and developed by Kurt Koffka and
Wolfgang Kohler. C. V. Good defines
gestalt-configuration, total structure, form or shape, a term designating an
undivided articulate as a whole that cannot be made by the more addition of
independent elements, the nature of each element depending on its relationship
to the whole. The term ‘gestalt’ means a
whole, a total composition. According to this theory, an individual learns an object,
a single entity, not in parts or bits. In other words, an individual’s
understanding of an object comprehends the whole object, not merely parts or
bits of the object. This theory can be summed up in the succinct statement: ‘The
whole is greater than the sum of its parts.’
In the 1920s, German psychologist Wolfgang
Kohler studied the behaviour of apes. He designed some simple
experiments that led to the development of one of the first cognitive theories
of learning, which he called insight learning. It is based
upon the concept that whole is meaningful than sum of its parts. Insight in
learning occurs in a flash and that involves the solving of a problem.
Kohler’s Experiment:
Kohler (1925) performed set of experiments with a chimpanzee name Sultan
inside a cage. In the cage was a bunch of bananas hanging from the roof. A box
was kept inside the cage. The chimpanzee tried to get the bananas but was
unable to due to his height. Finally, he used the box, climbed on it to reach
the bananas.
In another experiment, the chimpanzee required two or three boxes to
reach the bananas. He succeeded in reaching the bananas by placing a box on the
top of the other.
In another experiment, the banana bunch was kept outside the cage and
two sticks were placed in the cage. After several trials the chimpanzee joined
the sticks to reach the bananas.
Characteristics:
Insight is the sudden grasping of the solution of the problem.
It depends upon the intellectual ability of the learner.
It is facilitated by the previous experiences.
It involves understanding and reasoning about the problem.
Steps in Insight learning:
Kohler feels these steps are involved in learning-
Identifying the problem: Learner identifies
the problems in goal attainment.
Understanding the problem: The learner analyses
the situation and the nature of the problem.
Initial Efforts: Efforts in the form of simple
trial and error mechanism.
Incubation of Ideas: A period of hesitation or pause
from the problematic situation. During this period, mind keeps the task alive.
Insight Development: A flash of lightening comes in
mind to solve the problematic situation.
Repetition and Generalisation: After obtaining an
insightful solution for the problem the individual applies, this knowledge thus
obtained in another situation which require similar type of solution.
Principles Involved in Insightful Learning:
There are principles involved in perceptual organization or insightful
learning. Some of the basic laws propounded by Gestalt psychologists are as
follows;
Law of figure ground: This is
a type of perceptual grouping which is a vital necessity for recognizing objects
through vision. Everything is perceived in the context of its
background. This law examines how the eye can separate shapes in a design
from the background of that design. This law is also called law of closure.
Law of pragnanz: An organism is
motivated to learn when there is tension or disequilibrium of forces in the
psychological field. Learning is the removal of this tension. When we perceive
an object, we find some gaps in our perceptions. These gaps are filled by the
perceiver and a whole figure is prepared.
Law of continuity: Objects having
continuity are learnt easily because they can easily make a whole.
Law of similarity: This law makes the
individual to grasp things which are similar. They are picked out as they were
from the total context. Similar ideas and experiences get associated. An object
revives another object which resembles or looks like it. For example, seeing a
man and remembering an intimate friend by some resemblance though never saw
them together in the past.
Law of proximity: This law states the
proximate or near together things are picked up first and learnt easily than
distant things. In other words, perceptual grounds are favoured according to
the nearness of their respective parts. Items tend to form groups if they are
spaced together. For instance, a triangle or a circle is understood in this
way.
Educational Implications:
1. The teacher should present the concept as a whole to facilitate the
insight learning.
2. The theory also focuses on the motivational part. Motivation is very important
for learning.
3. The theory believes on the fact that understanding is very much
essential for solving the problem. The teacher should encourage the students to
understand the task.
4. The intellectual capacity of the learners also contributes to the
insightful learning.
5. The theory takes into consideration the individual differences in
learning.
6. The teacher should develop the reasoning power and capacity to discover
new facts rather than spoon feeding and providing bookish knowledge.
7. The theory advocates the child-centered approach to teaching-learning.
