1. an approach that views human cognitive processes in terms of massively parallel cooperative and competitive interactions among large numbers of simple neuronlike computational units. Although each unit exhibits nonlinear spatial and temporal summation, units and connections are not generally to be taken as corresponding directly to individual neurons and synapses. See also neural network; parallel distributed processing.

2. as used by Edward L. Thorndike, the concept that learning involves the acquisition of neural links, or connections, between stimulus and response. —connectionist adj.