The monograph "Animal Intelligence: An Experimental Study of the Associative Processes in Animals" by Edward L. Thorndike, published in 1898, aims to explain the nature of associative processes in the animal mind. Thorndike emphasizes the need for a more scientific approach to understanding animal behavior, particularly in the realm of associative processes, which have been previously studied but often with faulty methods and incomplete theories. Thorndike's method involves placing animals in enclosures with mechanisms that can be operated to escape, such as pulling loops, pressing levers, or stepping on platforms. The animals are observed over multiple trials to see how they form associations between sensory impressions and actions that lead to escape. The results are recorded in time-curves, which show the progression of the animals' success in forming these associations. The experiments with cats, dogs, and chicks reveal that the formation of associations is influenced by the animals' instinctive impulses, previous experience, and the complexity and definiteness of the required actions. Thorndike argues that these associative processes are fundamental to the development of human consciousness and cognitive abilities, and that understanding them is crucial for comparative psychology. Thorndike also discusses the limitations of previous research, such as the reliance on anecdotes and the lack of systematic experimental methods. He suggests that future studies should focus on more controlled and repeated experiments to better understand the associative processes in animals. The monograph provides a quantitative measure of what an average animal can do and how it does it, offering a valuable tool for assessing the intelligence of individual animals.The monograph "Animal Intelligence: An Experimental Study of the Associative Processes in Animals" by Edward L. Thorndike, published in 1898, aims to explain the nature of associative processes in the animal mind. Thorndike emphasizes the need for a more scientific approach to understanding animal behavior, particularly in the realm of associative processes, which have been previously studied but often with faulty methods and incomplete theories. Thorndike's method involves placing animals in enclosures with mechanisms that can be operated to escape, such as pulling loops, pressing levers, or stepping on platforms. The animals are observed over multiple trials to see how they form associations between sensory impressions and actions that lead to escape. The results are recorded in time-curves, which show the progression of the animals' success in forming these associations. The experiments with cats, dogs, and chicks reveal that the formation of associations is influenced by the animals' instinctive impulses, previous experience, and the complexity and definiteness of the required actions. Thorndike argues that these associative processes are fundamental to the development of human consciousness and cognitive abilities, and that understanding them is crucial for comparative psychology. Thorndike also discusses the limitations of previous research, such as the reliance on anecdotes and the lack of systematic experimental methods. He suggests that future studies should focus on more controlled and repeated experiments to better understand the associative processes in animals. The monograph provides a quantitative measure of what an average animal can do and how it does it, offering a valuable tool for assessing the intelligence of individual animals.