Which of the following is an example of Thorndike's law of effect?
A) A chicken keeps pecking at a bar even though it is repeatedly shocked immediately afterwards.
B) A teenager regularly works part-time after school in order to make some spending money.
C) A ball keeps rolling downhill because of the pull of gravity.
D) A cat keeps clawing the sofa despite being squirted with water every time it does this.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Thorndike's law of effect states that behaviors followed by pleasant consequences are likely to be repeated, while behaviors followed by unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated. In choice B, the teenager is likely to continue working part-time because the work is followed by the reward of earning spending money, which is a pleasant consequence.

Which of the Following Is an Example of Thorndike's Law