Final answer:
The principle in question is fundamental to operant conditioning, a form of learning where behaviors are influenced by their consequences, with high-probability behaviors reinforcing low-probability behaviors when the latter is a prerequisite for the former.
Step-by-step explanation:
The principle you are referring to is a core component of operant conditioning, a type of learning where the consequences of a behavior affect the likelihood of its occurrence. This principle suggests that a high-probability behavior can reinforce a low-probability behavior if the opportunity to engage in the high-probability behavior is made contingent upon the occurrence of the low-probability one. The concept was pioneered by psychologists Edward Thorndike and B. F. Skinner, where Skinner introduced the term reinforcement to describe any event that strengthens the behavior it follows. Shaping is a technique used in operant conditioning to reinforce successive approximations of a target behavior until the desired behavior is achieved. This approach is vital in teaching complex behaviors.
An example of operant conditioning can be seen in the workplace, where employees are reinforced to show up and work through the receipt of a paycheck. Without this reinforcement, the behavior of coming to work is less likely to occur. This principle supports the notion of the law of effect, which asserts that behaviors followed by satisfying consequences will likely be repeated, whereas those followed by unpleasant consequences will be discouraged.
In the context of advertising and gambling, this principle is also observed. Advertisements successfully increase product sales by associating the product with desirable outcomes or social status, which acts as a reinforcer for the purchasing behavior. Similarly, the intermittent reinforcement provided by slot machines at casinos reinforces the gambling behavior despite it not always resulting in a win.