KOHLER’S THEORY

Kohler experimented with a chimpanzee

placed in a cage. The animal tried to reach

a banana placed outside the cage with his own hands but he

could not.

There were two sticks in the cage

and the animal used one to reach the

banana but he failed.

Then the chimpanzee joined the two sticks end to end and the animal was able to draw the banana

closer to him.

Another example …

A boy wants to get a green mango hanging

from a branch of a mango tree.

He cannot reach the mango with his own

hands even if he climbs the tree

because the fruit is at the far end of a

branch.

If he climbs and tries to reach the

mango, the branch may break and he falls the ground.

So he finds a stick to get the mango but no

to avail.

He find another stick but still he cannot get the mango with the

second stick alone.

He joins the two sticks, thus making a longer one, and

places a hook at one end.

He finally gets the mango.