Law of effect
Encyclopedia
The law of effect basically states that “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.”
Edward Thorndike
first tested his theory on learning behavior using a customized puzzle box in which a hungry cat was placed.
The puzzle box consisted of a lever or a loop that could open the door, thereby releasing the hungry cat to
freedom and to the food placed just outside the box. He noted the amount of elapsed time it took the cat to
press the lever and free itself. Thorndike discovered that during the first few trials the cat would respond
in many ineffective ways, such as scratching at the door, digging at the floor, and pushing at the ceiling,
before it discovered the correct solution (pulling the loop or pushing the lever) and was freed from its
wooden prison. With each successive trial, it took the cat, on average, less and less time to escape. The
cat came to associate the pressing of the lever (or pulling of the loop) with the opening of the door. This
has been termed a stimulus – response reaction, with the stimulus "being inside the box" the "pressing of the lever" the response.
It holds that responses
that produce a satisfying or pleasant state of affairs in a particular situation are more likely to occur again in a similar situation. Conversely, responses that produce a discomforting, annoying or unpleasant effect are less likely to occur again in the situation.
Psychologists have been interested in the factors that are important in behavior change and control since psychology emerged as a discipline. One of the first principles associated with learning and behavior was the Law of Effect, which states that behaviors that lead to satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated, whereas behaviors that lead to undesired outcomes are less likely to recur.
Thorndike emphasized the importance of the situation in eliciting a response; the cat would not go about
making the lever-pressing movement if it was not in the puzzle box but was merely in a place where the
response had never been reinforced. The situation involves not just the cat’s location but also the stimuli
it is exposed to, for example, the hunger and the desire for freedom. The cat recognizes the inside of
the box, the bars, and the lever and remembers what it needs to do to produce the correct response. This
shows that learning and the law of effect are context-specific.
In an influential paper, R. J. Herrnstein
(1970) proposed a quantitative relationship between response rate (B) and reinforcement rate (Rf):
B = k Rf / (Rf0 + Rf)
where k and Rf0 are constants. Herrnstein proposed that this formula, which he derived from the matching law
he had observed in studies of concurrent schedules of reinforcement, should be regarded as a quantification of the law of effect. While the qualitative law of effect may be a tautology, this quantitative version is not.
Thorndike’s Law of Effect can be compared to Darwin’s theory of natural selection
in which successful
organisms are more likely to prosper and survive to pass on their genes to the next generation, while
the weaker, unsuccessful organisms are gradually replaced and “stamped out”. It can be said that the environment selects the "fittest" behavior for a situation, stamping out any unsuccessful behaviors, in the same way it selects the "fittest" individuals of a species. In an experiment that Thorndike conducted, he placed a hungry cat inside a "puzzle box", where the animal could only escape and reach the food once it could operate the latch of the door. At first the cats would scratch and claw in order to find a way out, then by chance / accident, the cat would activate the latch to open the door. On successive trials, the behaviour of the animal would become more habitual, to a point where the animal would operate without hesitation. The occurrence of the favourable outcome, reaching the food source, only strengthens the response that it produces.
almost half a
century later on the principles of operant conditioning. Skinner would later use an updated version of
Thorndike’s puzzle box and contribute greater to our perception and understanding of the law of effect
today and how it relates to operant conditioning, “a learning process by which the effect, or consequence,
of a response influences the future rate of production of that response.”
that situation, and responses that produce a discomforting effect become less likely to occur again in that
situation.”
History
The law of effect is an operant conditioning. This form of conditioning was first discovered in the 20th century in Cambridge, Massachusetts by Edward L. Thorndike.Edward Thorndike
Edward Thorndike
Edward Lee "Ted" Thorndike was an American psychologist who spent nearly his entire career at Teachers College, Columbia University. His work on animal behavior and the learning process led to the theory of connectionism and helped lay the scientific foundation for modern educational psychology...
first tested his theory on learning behavior using a customized puzzle box in which a hungry cat was placed.
The puzzle box consisted of a lever or a loop that could open the door, thereby releasing the hungry cat to
freedom and to the food placed just outside the box. He noted the amount of elapsed time it took the cat to
press the lever and free itself. Thorndike discovered that during the first few trials the cat would respond
in many ineffective ways, such as scratching at the door, digging at the floor, and pushing at the ceiling,
before it discovered the correct solution (pulling the loop or pushing the lever) and was freed from its
wooden prison. With each successive trial, it took the cat, on average, less and less time to escape. The
cat came to associate the pressing of the lever (or pulling of the loop) with the opening of the door. This
has been termed a stimulus – response reaction, with the stimulus "being inside the box" the "pressing of the lever" the response.
Definition
The Law of Effect was published by Edward Thorndike in 1905 and states that when an S-R association is established in instrumental conditioning between the instrumental response and the contextual stimuli that are present, the response is reinforced and the S-R association holds the sole responsibility for the occurrence of that behavior. Simply put, this means that once the stimulus and response are associated, the response is likely to occur without the stimulus being present.It holds that responses
Stimulus (psychology)
In psychology, stimuli are energy patterns which are registered by the senses. In behaviorism and related stimulus–response theories, stimuli constitute the basis for behavior, whereas in perceptual psychology they constitute the basis for perception.In the second half of the 19th century, the...
that produce a satisfying or pleasant state of affairs in a particular situation are more likely to occur again in a similar situation. Conversely, responses that produce a discomforting, annoying or unpleasant effect are less likely to occur again in the situation.
Psychologists have been interested in the factors that are important in behavior change and control since psychology emerged as a discipline. One of the first principles associated with learning and behavior was the Law of Effect, which states that behaviors that lead to satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated, whereas behaviors that lead to undesired outcomes are less likely to recur.
Thorndike emphasized the importance of the situation in eliciting a response; the cat would not go about
making the lever-pressing movement if it was not in the puzzle box but was merely in a place where the
response had never been reinforced. The situation involves not just the cat’s location but also the stimuli
it is exposed to, for example, the hunger and the desire for freedom. The cat recognizes the inside of
the box, the bars, and the lever and remembers what it needs to do to produce the correct response. This
shows that learning and the law of effect are context-specific.
In an influential paper, R. J. Herrnstein
Richard Herrnstein
Richard J. Herrnstein was an American researcher in animal learning in the Skinnerian tradition. He was one of the founders of quantitative analysis of behavior....
(1970) proposed a quantitative relationship between response rate (B) and reinforcement rate (Rf):
B = k Rf / (Rf0 + Rf)
where k and Rf0 are constants. Herrnstein proposed that this formula, which he derived from the matching law
Matching law
In operant conditioning, the matching law is a quantitative relationship that holds between the relative rates of response and the relative rates of reinforcement in concurrent schedules of reinforcement...
he had observed in studies of concurrent schedules of reinforcement, should be regarded as a quantification of the law of effect. While the qualitative law of effect may be a tautology, this quantitative version is not.
Example
An example is often portrayed in drug addiction training. When a person uses a substance for the first time, they are more likely to feel the need when in the same situation at a later time to use that substance again. Over time, the person will only have to be in the same place for them to feel the need to take a drug. Over time, the person will also develop a tolerance, increasing dosage of the drug when used, making it dangerous for the user should they chose to take the drug in another context.Thorndike’s Law of Effect can be compared to Darwin’s theory of natural selection
Natural selection
Natural selection is the nonrandom process by which biologic traits become either more or less common in a population as a function of differential reproduction of their bearers. It is a key mechanism of evolution....
in which successful
organisms are more likely to prosper and survive to pass on their genes to the next generation, while
the weaker, unsuccessful organisms are gradually replaced and “stamped out”. It can be said that the environment selects the "fittest" behavior for a situation, stamping out any unsuccessful behaviors, in the same way it selects the "fittest" individuals of a species. In an experiment that Thorndike conducted, he placed a hungry cat inside a "puzzle box", where the animal could only escape and reach the food once it could operate the latch of the door. At first the cats would scratch and claw in order to find a way out, then by chance / accident, the cat would activate the latch to open the door. On successive trials, the behaviour of the animal would become more habitual, to a point where the animal would operate without hesitation. The occurrence of the favourable outcome, reaching the food source, only strengthens the response that it produces.
Influence
The law of effect provided a framework for psychologist B. F. SkinnerB. F. Skinner
Burrhus Frederic Skinner was an American behaviorist, author, inventor, baseball enthusiast, social philosopher and poet...
almost half a
century later on the principles of operant conditioning. Skinner would later use an updated version of
Thorndike’s puzzle box and contribute greater to our perception and understanding of the law of effect
today and how it relates to operant conditioning, “a learning process by which the effect, or consequence,
of a response influences the future rate of production of that response.”