Behavior is strengthened by satisfying outcomes and weakened by annoying ones
Evidence
Thorndike sees here the makings of a bigger, more general law of nature. As he puts it, the results of our actions are either “satisfying” or “annoying.” When the result of an action is “satisfying,” we tend to do it more. When on the other hand the outcome is “annoying,” we’ll do it less. The more clear the connection between action and outcome, the stronger the resulting change. Thorndike calls this idea, perhaps the most famous and durable of his career, “the law of effect.” — Brian Christian, The Alignment Problem, 539
Categorization
- DEFINE: Defines Thorndike’s law of effect, the conceptual ancestor of all reinforcement learning.
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Brian Christian, The Alignment Problem, 539
- XREF: connects to: Rewarded actions get stamped in and repeated while punished ones fade — Brian Christian, The Alignment Problem, 538; Hypercritical feedback can shape personal habits and emotional responses. — Joanna Stern, I Am Not a Robot- My Year Using AI to…, 587; Punishment only temporarily suppresses behavior, never eliminating it — , The Rod and the Child: A Global History…, 5928 (+1 more)
Related
- Rewarded actions get stamped in and repeated while punished ones fade (similarity 0.86)
Broader Connections
- Rewarded actions get stamped in and repeated while punished ones fade
#corroborates(0.95) — Brian Christian, The Alignment Problem, 538 - Hypercritical feedback can shape personal habits and emotional responses.
#expands(0.70) — Joanna Stern, I Am Not a Robot- My Year Using AI to…, 587 - Punishment only temporarily suppresses behavior, never eliminating it
#qualifies(0.65) — , The Rod and the Child, 5928