Understanding the Law of Learning

The question describes a fundamental principle in the study of learning: that when a response in a particular situation leads to a positive or satisfying outcome, that response is more likely to be repeated in the future when the same situation arises. Conversely, responses leading to unpleasant or dissatisfying outcomes are less likely to be repeated.

This principle is a cornerstone of instrumental conditioning or operant conditioning, focusing on how consequences influence behavior.

Analyzing the Psychologists and Their Contributions

Let's look at the options provided and their key contributions to learning theory:

• Skinner: B.F. Skinner developed operant conditioning, heavily influenced by Thorndike's work. Skinner introduced concepts like reinforcement (positive and negative) and punishment to describe how consequences shape behavior. While related, the specific law described in the question is attributed to an earlier psychologist.
• Thorndike: Edward Thorndike is famous for his work on animal learning and the formulation of several laws of learning, including the Law of Exercise and the Law of Readiness, and most notably, the Law of Effect. His experiments, often involving cats in puzzle boxes, led him to conclude that behaviors followed by satisfying consequences become 'stamped in' or strengthened, making them more likely to occur.
• Pavlov: Ivan Pavlov is renowned for his work on classical conditioning. This type of learning involves associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response. Pavlov's famous experiment involved dogs, bells, and salivation. His work focuses on learning associations between stimuli, not on how consequences affect voluntary behaviors in the way described in the question.
• Watson: John B. Watson is considered the founder of behaviorism. He emphasized the study of observable behavior and rejected the study of internal mental states. While he conducted experiments like the "Little Albert" study demonstrating classical conditioning in humans, he did not formulate the specific law described in the question regarding the effect of satisfying consequences on response probability.

Identifying the Psychologist Behind the Law of Effect

The law described in the question, stating that responses producing a satisfying effect are more likely to recur, is precisely Thorndike's Law of Effect. This law is a foundational concept in the study of how consequences shape voluntary behavior and directly aligns with the statement provided.

Therefore, the law of learning where responses leading to satisfying effects become more likely to occur again is given by Thorndike.