Explain how Kohler’s study of chimpanzees came to point to the importance of cognition in learning

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER:
?Wolfgang Köhler (7–7), became aware that cognitive processes must play a role in learning. Köhler observed that chimpanzees did not always attempt to solve problems in a trial-and-error fashion as predicted by the law of effect. Rather, they often seemed to study a problem for a long time as if formulating a mental plan—before attempting to solve it. In one experiment, Köhler placed a banana just out of reach outside a chimpanzee’s cage, and he placed a stick inside the cage. The law of effect would predict that the chimpanzee would try many random behaviors—like shaking the bars and jumping up and down—before picking up the stick and using it to reach the banana. But this is not what Köhler observed. Instead, the chimpanzee studied the situation and then appeared to suddenly come up with the solution. After this flash of insight into how to solve its dilemma, the chimpanzee picked up the stick and used it to scoot the banana to a point where it could be reached.