Tim repeatedly placed his pigeon in a cage, with birdseed just outside the cage door. The only way the pigeon could reach the birdseed was to peck a button fixed on one of the walls. This opened the door and allowed the pigeon to reach the seed. According to the law of effect, which of the following would most likely occur?
A)The pigeon would ignore the birdseed.
B)The pigeon would experience frustration and go to sleep.
C)The pigeon would eventually peck the button and access the food, but never try to do this again.
D)The pigeon would eventually peck the button and access the food, and each subsequent time, peck the button more quickly than before.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the law of effect, behaviors that are followed by satisfying consequences (in this case, access to food) are more likely to be repeated in the future. Therefore, over time, the pigeon would learn to associate pecking the button with getting the food and would become more efficient at doing so.

Tim Repeatedly Placed His Pigeon in a Cage, with Birdseed