You spend days wandering aimlessly around a park with many different paths that end at different parts of the park. One day when you arrive at the park, you get a call on your cell phone from your cousin whom you haven't seen for years, and she says she is waiting for you in a particular section of the park. Even though the paths are complicated and twisted, you manage to find the shortest route to your cousin. Tolman would explain your efficient passage through the park as an example of __________.
A) spontaneous recovery
B) insight
C) formation of a cognitive map
D) unconscious trial-and-error imagery

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Tolman's theory of cognitive maps suggests that organisms navigate their environment by creating internal representations or maps of their external surroundings. In this scenario, the individual is able to use their cognitive map to efficiently navigate through the park to their cousin's location. This is not an example of spontaneous recovery, which refers to the reappearance of an extinguished behavior after a period of rest. It is also not an example of unconscious trial-and-error imagery, which suggests that learning occurs through a process of trial and error without conscious awareness. While insight may have played a role in the individual's ability to identify the particular section of the park where their cousin was waiting, it is the cognitive map that enabled them to efficiently navigate to that location.

You Spend Days Wandering Aimlessly Around a Park with Many