Question

In the supermarket checkout line, if John is crying, his mother gives him candy to calm him down. However, if John is sitting quietly in the cart, his mother does not give him candy. John really likes candy, so it is likely that he will repeat his crying behavior, as suggested by _____.

a. the Yerkes-Dodson law
b. Thorndike's law of effect
c. latent learning
d. extinction

Answer 1

The correct answer is Thorndike's law of effect. The correct answer to this question is b. In the given scenario, John's crying behavior is being reinforced by his mother giving him candy to calm him down.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to this question is b. Thorndike's law of effect. Thorndike's law of effect states that behaviors that are followed by consequences that are satisfying to the organism are more likely to be repeated, while behaviors that are followed by unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated. In the given scenario, John's crying behavior is being reinforced by his mother giving him candy to calm him down, which is satisfying to John, leading to the likelihood of him repeating the behavior in the future.