Who formulated the Law of Effect?

Study for the Helwig NCE and CPCE Human Growth and Development Test. Enhance your preparation with multiple choice questions and detailed explanations. Excel in your exam!

Multiple Choice

Who formulated the Law of Effect?

Explanation:
The Law of Effect explains how consequences shape future behavior: actions followed by satisfying outcomes tend to be repeated, while those followed by unpleasant outcomes are less likely to occur again. This idea was first formulated by Edward L. Thorndike, based on his puzzle-box experiments with cats, where successful escapes were reinforced by rewards and became more likely over time. Thorndike’s principle laid the groundwork for later ideas in operant conditioning, which B.F. Skinner later systematized. Pavlov’s work on classical conditioning and Watson’s behaviorism are separate lines of study.

The Law of Effect explains how consequences shape future behavior: actions followed by satisfying outcomes tend to be repeated, while those followed by unpleasant outcomes are less likely to occur again. This idea was first formulated by Edward L. Thorndike, based on his puzzle-box experiments with cats, where successful escapes were reinforced by rewards and became more likely over time. Thorndike’s principle laid the groundwork for later ideas in operant conditioning, which B.F. Skinner later systematized. Pavlov’s work on classical conditioning and Watson’s behaviorism are separate lines of study.

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