The Law of Effect in Psychology

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The law of effect is a principle in psychology stating that behaviors with satisfying outcomes are more likely to happen again, while those with unsatisfying outcomes are less likely to reoccur.

At a GlanceThe law of effect helps explain why we repeat some behaviors and not others. When something good happens after behavior, we’re more likely to engage in that behavior again. Like if your child cleans up their room and you tell them “Good job!,” that praise makes it more likely your child will clean their room again in the future.The law of effect played an important role in the development of behaviorism, a school of thought suggesting that behavior can be understood in terms of conditioning and reinforcement. In particular, the law of effect had a significant impact on B. F. Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning, in which behaviors are modified using reinforcement and punishment.

At a Glance

The law of effect helps explain why we repeat some behaviors and not others. When something good happens after behavior, we’re more likely to engage in that behavior again. Like if your child cleans up their room and you tell them “Good job!,” that praise makes it more likely your child will clean their room again in the future.The law of effect played an important role in the development of behaviorism, a school of thought suggesting that behavior can be understood in terms of conditioning and reinforcement. In particular, the law of effect had a significant impact on B. F. Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning, in which behaviors are modified using reinforcement and punishment.

The law of effect helps explain why we repeat some behaviors and not others. When something good happens after behavior, we’re more likely to engage in that behavior again. Like if your child cleans up their room and you tell them “Good job!,” that praise makes it more likely your child will clean their room again in the future.

The law of effect played an important role in the development of behaviorism, a school of thought suggesting that behavior can be understood in terms of conditioning and reinforcement. In particular, the law of effect had a significant impact on B. F. Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning, in which behaviors are modified using reinforcement and punishment.

Examples of the Law of Effect

You start showing up for work a little bit early each day to keep receiving your boss’s commendations. Because a pleasing consequence followed the behavior, the action became more likely to be repeated in the future.

More Examples

Who Discovered the Law of Effect?

While we often associate the idea that consequences lead to changes in behavior with the process of operant conditioning andB. F. Skinner, this notion has its roots in the early work of psychologistEdward Thorndike.

In his experiments, Thorndike utilized what is known as puzzle boxes to study how animals learn.

The boxes were enclosed but contained a small lever that, when pressed, would allow the animal to escape. Thorndike would place a cat inside the puzzle box and then place a piece of meat outside the box.

He would then observe the animal’s efforts to escape and obtain the food. He recorded how long each animal took to figure out how to free itself from the box.

Thorndike noted that with each trial, the cats became much faster at opening the door. Because pressing the lever had led to a favorable outcome, the cats were much more likely to perform the behavior again in the future.

Thorndike termed this the “Law of Effect,” which suggested that when satisfaction follows an association, it is more likely to be repeated. If an unfavorable outcome follows an action, then it becomes less likely to be repeated.

Key Elements of the Law of Effect

There are two key aspects of the law of effect:

The Law of Effect and Behaviorism

Thorndike’s discovery had a major influence on the development ofbehaviorism. In fact, B.F. Skinner based his theory of operant conditioning on the law of effect. Skinner even developed his own version of a puzzle box which he referred to as an operant conditioning chamber (also known as aSkinner box).

Operant Conditioning

Inoperant conditioning, behaviors that arereinforcedare strengthened. Behaviors that arepunished, however, are weakened. Skinner also suggested that how these reinforcements are delivered, known as theschedule of reinforcement, can affect the strength and rate of the response.

The law of effect clearly had a significant influence on the development of behaviorism, which went on to become the dominant school of thought in psychology for much of the first half of the 20th century.​

Law of Effect Today

Thorndike’s research on the laws of learning played an important role in the development of behavioral psychology and continues to exert influence to this day.

Many behavioral principles remain in use today. In therapeutic settings, psychologists and other mental health professionals often use reinforcement to encourage positive behaviors and discourage undesirable ones. In such cases, the use of favorable outcomes may be used to increase the likelihood of future positive behaviors.

What This Means For YouKnowing how the law of effect works can be a valuable tool when it comes to understanding your own behavior, as well as that of the people around you. For example, when you want to increase a behavior (such as when trying tobuild a good habit), focus on maximizing the positive things that happen after you engage in that behavior.By building a connection between what you do and the good (or bad) things that follow, you can either increase desirable behaviors or decrease undesirable ones.

What This Means For You

Knowing how the law of effect works can be a valuable tool when it comes to understanding your own behavior, as well as that of the people around you. For example, when you want to increase a behavior (such as when trying tobuild a good habit), focus on maximizing the positive things that happen after you engage in that behavior.By building a connection between what you do and the good (or bad) things that follow, you can either increase desirable behaviors or decrease undesirable ones.

Knowing how the law of effect works can be a valuable tool when it comes to understanding your own behavior, as well as that of the people around you. For example, when you want to increase a behavior (such as when trying tobuild a good habit), focus on maximizing the positive things that happen after you engage in that behavior.

By building a connection between what you do and the good (or bad) things that follow, you can either increase desirable behaviors or decrease undesirable ones.

How Behavioral Therapy Works

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Athalye VR, Santos FJ, Carmena JM, Costa RM.Evidence for a neural law of effect.Science. 2018;359(6379):1024-1029. doi:10.1126/science.aao6058Thorndike E.Animal intelligence: An experimental study of the associative processes in animals.The Psychological Review: Monograph Supplements. 1898;2(4):i-109. doi:10.1037/h0092987Huang J, Ruan X, Yu N, Fan Q, Li J, Cai J.A cognitive model based on neuromodulated plasticity.Comput Intell Neurosci.2016;2016:4296356. doi:10.1155%2F2016%2F4296356Nevin J.Analyzing Thorndike’s law Of effect: The question of stimulus-response bonds.J Exp Anal Behav. 1999;72(3):447-450. doi:10.1901/jeab.1999.72-447Beeler JA.Thorndike’s law 2.0: Dopamine and the regulation of thrift.Front Neurosci. 2012;6:116. doi:10.3389/fnins.2012.00116B.F. Skinner Foundation.Biographical information.Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.Behaviorism.

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Athalye VR, Santos FJ, Carmena JM, Costa RM.Evidence for a neural law of effect.Science. 2018;359(6379):1024-1029. doi:10.1126/science.aao6058Thorndike E.Animal intelligence: An experimental study of the associative processes in animals.The Psychological Review: Monograph Supplements. 1898;2(4):i-109. doi:10.1037/h0092987Huang J, Ruan X, Yu N, Fan Q, Li J, Cai J.A cognitive model based on neuromodulated plasticity.Comput Intell Neurosci.2016;2016:4296356. doi:10.1155%2F2016%2F4296356Nevin J.Analyzing Thorndike’s law Of effect: The question of stimulus-response bonds.J Exp Anal Behav. 1999;72(3):447-450. doi:10.1901/jeab.1999.72-447Beeler JA.Thorndike’s law 2.0: Dopamine and the regulation of thrift.Front Neurosci. 2012;6:116. doi:10.3389/fnins.2012.00116B.F. Skinner Foundation.Biographical information.Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.Behaviorism.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Athalye VR, Santos FJ, Carmena JM, Costa RM.Evidence for a neural law of effect.Science. 2018;359(6379):1024-1029. doi:10.1126/science.aao6058Thorndike E.Animal intelligence: An experimental study of the associative processes in animals.The Psychological Review: Monograph Supplements. 1898;2(4):i-109. doi:10.1037/h0092987Huang J, Ruan X, Yu N, Fan Q, Li J, Cai J.A cognitive model based on neuromodulated plasticity.Comput Intell Neurosci.2016;2016:4296356. doi:10.1155%2F2016%2F4296356Nevin J.Analyzing Thorndike’s law Of effect: The question of stimulus-response bonds.J Exp Anal Behav. 1999;72(3):447-450. doi:10.1901/jeab.1999.72-447Beeler JA.Thorndike’s law 2.0: Dopamine and the regulation of thrift.Front Neurosci. 2012;6:116. doi:10.3389/fnins.2012.00116B.F. Skinner Foundation.Biographical information.Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.Behaviorism.

Athalye VR, Santos FJ, Carmena JM, Costa RM.Evidence for a neural law of effect.Science. 2018;359(6379):1024-1029. doi:10.1126/science.aao6058

Thorndike E.Animal intelligence: An experimental study of the associative processes in animals.The Psychological Review: Monograph Supplements. 1898;2(4):i-109. doi:10.1037/h0092987

Huang J, Ruan X, Yu N, Fan Q, Li J, Cai J.A cognitive model based on neuromodulated plasticity.Comput Intell Neurosci.2016;2016:4296356. doi:10.1155%2F2016%2F4296356

Nevin J.Analyzing Thorndike’s law Of effect: The question of stimulus-response bonds.J Exp Anal Behav. 1999;72(3):447-450. doi:10.1901/jeab.1999.72-447

Beeler JA.Thorndike’s law 2.0: Dopamine and the regulation of thrift.Front Neurosci. 2012;6:116. doi:10.3389/fnins.2012.00116

B.F. Skinner Foundation.Biographical information.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.Behaviorism.

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