Which statement predicts the law of effect?
A) If a tone is played while the dog is given food, the dog will eventually salivate in response to the tone.
B) If a child is bitten by a large black dog, the child will start to fear all dogs, not just large black dogs.
C) If a teenager is grounded for staying out past his curfew, he will come home on time in the future.
D) If one can remember a list of words for a few hours after studying it, one will be less likely to forget the list later on.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The law of effect, proposed by Edward Thorndike, suggests that behaviors followed by pleasant consequences are likely to be repeated, while those followed by unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated. Option C directly reflects this principle by suggesting that the teenager will modify his behavior (coming home on time) to avoid the unpleasant consequence (being grounded).

Which Statement Predicts the Law of Effect