Education Atlas

How Knowledge Is Built
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Learning Theory and Concepts

Law of Effect

Behaviorist and Cognitive Processing Theories

The law of effect, also known as Thorndike's law, is a psychological principle first proposed in 1898 describing how behavior changes according to its consequences. It states that responses producing a satisfying effect in a given situation become more likely to recur in that situation, while responses producing a discomforting effect become less likely to recur, a principle that became foundational to later behaviorist accounts of learning and reinforcement.

Facts
Core Claim
Responses that produce a satisfying effect in a particular situation become more likely to occur again in that situation, and responses that produce a discomforting effect become less likely to occur again in that situation. 1
Origin Year
1898 1
Connections

Developed By

Source Wikipedia: Law of effect
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Law of effect
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section, first sentence naming Thorndike and 1898
    The law of effect, or Thorndike's law, is a psychology principle advanced by Edward Thorndike in 1898
  • Lead section, sentence defining satisfying and discomforting effects
    responses that produce a satisfying effect in a particular situation become more likely to occur again in that situation, and responses that produce a discomforting effect become less likely to occur again in that situation.
  • Developed By: Edward Thorndike, Lead section
    The law of effect, or Thorndike's law, is a psychology principle advanced by Edward Thorndike in 1898 on the matter of behavioral conditioning (not then formulated as such) which states that "responses that produce a satisfying effect in a particular situation become more likely to occur again in tha
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.