Who is commonly attributed to discovering the law of effect?

The law of effect is commonly attributed to Edward L. Thorndike, an American psychologist. Thorndike formulated this principle in the early 20th century based on his experiments with animals, particularly cats. He placed cats in puzzle boxes and observed how they learned to escape from the boxes to receive a reward, usually food. The law of effect states that responses followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated, while responses followed by unpleasant outcomes are less likely to occur. This principle laid the groundwork for behaviorism and has influenced various fields, including education, psychology, and animal training. Thorndike's work emphasized the importance of reward and punishment in learning processes.