What does Thorndike's Law of Effect state?

• A. The connection is strengthened when followed by a punishment
• B. The connection is strengthened when followed by a reward
• C. When a stimulus is followed by no outcome, the connection weakens
• D. All responses are due to imitation

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that actions followed by satisfying outcomes become more likely to occur again in the same situation. Thorndike saw learning as a process where behavior is strengthened by its consequences: if a behavior leads to something good (a reward), that behavior is likely to be repeated; if it leads to something bad (a punishment), it's likely to be avoided.

So the statement that the connection is strengthened when followed by a reward captures this exactly. It reflects how a rewarded action becomes more probable in the future. In contrast, punishment tends to decrease or weaken behaviors, an outcome not described as the Law of Effect itself; no outcome or extinction is a different idea, and imitation is not part of this law, which focuses on consequences shaping one’s own behavior through trial and error.