Edward Thorndike observed cats learning to escape from boxes to obtain a piece of fish and derived from these observations the "law of effect." This was an early statement of
A) classical conditioning.
B) operant conditioning.
C) shaping.
D) stimulus generalization.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Thorndike's law of effect stated that behaviors followed by positive consequences (rewards) are more likely to be repeated, and behaviors followed by negative consequences (punishments) are less likely to be repeated. This is a basic principle of operant conditioning, which is focused on consequences of behavior.

Edward Thorndike Observed Cats Learning to Escape from Boxes to Obtain