Associationist theory: its authors and psychological contributions

This theory was the basis of a very important psychological current: behaviorism.

The ability to associate is basic in order to be able to learn. We can know and react to certain stimuli because we are able to link events.

We smell a certain fragrance and salivate thinking that our favorite dish awaits us. We walk away from a meal that in previous experiences has had us vomiting for hours.

Someone looks at us in a certain way and we infer that they are angry or attracted to us. The associationist theory of learningthe basis of behaviorism and from it the basis of numerous psychological techniques and schools, defends that the fact that we respond in this way is given because we are capable of linking phenomena and situations, learning and acquiring this association.

What is the Associationist Theory?

Based on Aristotelian contributions and those of numerous philosophers such as Locke and Hume, this theory would be developed by David Hartley and John Stuart Mill. would be developed by David Hartley and John Stuart Mill, who postulated that all consciousness is the consequence of a combination of stimuli.who postulated that all consciousness is a consequence of the combination of stimuli and elements captured through the senses. Thus, mental processes are produced continuously on the basis of a series of laws with which we link the stimuli of the environment.

In a simple and generic way, the associationist theory can be summarized as that which proposes that knowledge is acquired by experience, linking the sensations produced by the presence and interaction with stimuli in a mechanical way and provided that a series of basic requirements known as the laws of association are met. basic requirements known as laws of association. As new associations are added, thought and behavior become increasingly complex, and human behavior can be explained on the basis of learning the links between phenomena.

However, this theory would be considered only philosophical until the advent of behaviorism, which through numerous experiments and empirical verifications eventually elevated associationism to the status of a scientific theory..

The laws of association

The associationist theory considers that when it comes to linking or relating different stimuli or phenomena, we follow a series of universal rules that are imposed on us by the laws of association. universal rules that are innately imposed on us.. The main laws of association are the following, although they would later be revised and reworked by the various authors who worked from associationism and behaviorism.

1. Law of contiguity

Initially, according to the law of contiguity two events or stimuli are associated when they occur very close in time and space when they occur very close in time and space.. With time and systematic study, this law changed to refer to the need for the mental representation of such stimuli to appear together or close in our mind, without requiring physical proximity as such.

2. Law of similarity

For the associationist theory when two stimuli activate similar mental representations or have common characteristics, it is much more likely or have common characteristics, it is much more likely that they will be linked to each other on the basis of this similarity.

3. Law of contrast

Two stimuli will also be associated if they are completely oppositebecause the existence of a contrast in the same stimulus quality is perceived.

4. Law of frequency

The links between the events that are repeated the most tend to be stored more frequently, strengthening the association between these events or stimuli.

5. Law of recency

According to the law of recency the more recent and the shorter the temporal distance between the two stimuli, the stronger the link between them.the stronger the link established between them.

6. Law of effect

This law was formulated by Edward Thorndike as the basis of instrumental conditioning (later renamed by B. F. Skinner as operant conditioning) in order to explain conduct and behavior.

According to this law, the responses made by a subject that maintain relations of contiguity with reinforcing consequences will be associated with great will be strongly associated with the original stimulus that produced that response, increasing its probability of repetition. If such a response is followed by aversive consequences, the association with the stimulus will cause the response to be made less frequently (initially it was proposed that this was because the association was less, but this was later rectified).

Behaviorism and the association between stimuli

The theory of association would eventually become one of the main pillars of behaviorism, which aims to investigate human behavior scientifically from the observable. Although behaviorism obviates mental processes in its study of human behavior because they are not directly observable, this current has served as a basis for new ways of interpreting the human psyche, with other schools and paradigms emerging from both its successes and limitations and integrating part of its techniques and basic beliefs.

Behaviorism uses as its basis the associationist theory, considering that exposure to two contiguous stimuli produces a link between them.. If a stimulus produces an effect on the organism, a specific response to this stimulation will be generated. If, in addition to this, a second stimulus appears at or near the moment when an effect is produced, this stimulus will be linked to the first one, ending up by generating a similar response.

Throughout the history of behaviorism, it has been evolving, developing different perspectives based mostly on the associationist theory. Some of the best known and most prominent are classical conditioning and operant conditioning.

Classical conditioning

Also known as Pavlovian conditioningthis perspective considers that the organism is capable of associating different stimuli with each other. Certain stimuli are capable of provoking a direct response in the individual, such as Pain or pleasure, generating a physiological response.

Coinciding with the associationist theory, classical conditioning considers that the contingent presentation of two stimuli causes them to be associated. For example, the presence of food (an unconditioned stimulus since it provokes a response directly) produces salivation (the unconditioned response).

If every time food is brought to us, a stimulus appears that does not in itself produce an effect, such as the ringing of a bell, we will end up considering that the bell announces the arrival of food and we will end up salivating at the mere sound of the bell, so that we will have conditioned our response to the second stimulus (the neutral stimulus will have become conditioned). Thanks to this conditioning we learn about stimuli and their relationship.

Operant conditioning

Classical conditioning may serve to explain associations between stimuli, but although stimuli are passively captured, human behavior is mostly motivated by the consequences of our actions. is for the most part motivated by the consequences of our actions..

In this sense, operant conditioning continues to be based on associationist theory to indicate that the individual learns by linking what he does with the consequences of his actions. The response to be applied to a given stimulation is learned.

Thus, how we act depends on its consequences, how we act depends on its consequences. If performing an action brings us a positive stimulus or eliminates or avoids a negative one, our behavior will be reinforced and will be performed more often, while if acting in a certain way causes harm or the elimination of a gratification we will see these consequences as a punishment, so we will tend to reduce the frequency with which we act.

Associative learning

The associationist theory, especially from behaviorism, has been applied with great frequency in the field of education. This is due to the fact that associative learning is understood as a change in behavior, attitude or thought caused by the experience of certain experiences.

Associative learning is understood as the process by which a subject is able to perceive the relationship between two facts. perceive the existing relationship between two concrete facts from the observation of a specific experience.. These relationships can be generalized to similar stimuli, while being discriminative in relation to other phenomena. In other words, the relationship captured is specific between the two events, not being observed with other types of stimuli unless there are similarities with the original situation.

In this learning process the subject is mainly passive, capturing the relationship between stimuli and their intensity due to the characteristics of the events in question. Mental processes have little relevance for the realization of associations, being more relevant the process of perception of reality.

Although associative learning is very useful in the achievement of behavioral learning in achieving the learning of mechanical behaviors, this type of learning has the disadvantage of beingThis type of learning has the disadvantage that the knowledge or skill obtained does not take into account previous experience or the different cognitive processes that may mediate learning. The subject receives a totally decontextualized knowledge, in which the individual is not able to relate what has been learned now with the previous one.

Learning takes place through repetition, without allowing the subject to elaborate what he learns and to give meaning both to the content to be learned and to the learning process itself. For the associationist theory, the subject is a passive being who is limited to receiving and retaining external stimulation, and thus intrapsychic aspects such as motivation or expectations are not taken into account. such as motivation or expectationsNor does it work from the point of view that different people may have different perspectives or abilities in the same situation.