Law of Effect and Operant Conditioning

Edward Thorndike:

1. Thorndike was trying to figure out if rewards for certain responses reinforce those responses in animals. For his emperiment, he placed a cat in what was called a puzzle box, which he invented, and watched the cat try to get out. At first, the cats were only able to get out by trial and error, but over time, they learned how to get out of the box, where the food was, with only one try.

2. The law of effect states that responses followed by satisfaction, like a reward, become attached to that specific situation and are more likely to occur again if the situation repeats itself.

3. The law of exercise states that behavior is better established through many connections of response and stimulus.

B.F Skinner:

1. Skinner's theory of operant conditioning states that if a response is followed by a reinforcement, then it is likely to occur again. Unlike Thorndike, he does not mention rewards but only says that practice makes perfect.

2. Reinforcement will always, over time, make you better at what you are doing.

3. A punishment will always cause a decrease in the amount of what you were doing wrong, but it will not teach you what to do right.

4. Positive reinforcement increases the response and negative punishment will decrease he response.

Sources:
http://teachnet.edb.utexas.edu/~Lynda_abbot/Behaviorism.html
http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/thorndike.htm
http://psychology.about.com/od/lindex/g/lawofeffect.htm
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/689639/Thorndikes-law-of-exercise