Upon the foundation of behaviorism built by John Watson on observable behavior, Edward

Thornike, an American psychologist investigated further on behaviorism to research how

animals learn. He used puzzle boxes to conduct experiments with cats by putting the cats in the
box and observed how they learned to escape and were rewarded with food. The cat will come
out with different actions such as pulling lever, biting string or swishing their tail to open the
door. Edward observed and recorded the duration the cat took to escape each time, and he
noticed that the cat escaped faster as time passed. Through trial and error learning, it was shown
that the behaviors that lead to positive outcomes were reinforced and increased in frequency.
Thus, the idea that a behavior can be studied was reinforced by Thorndike, where his experiment
has provided a thorough and clear evidence that learning occurs when there is an interaction with
the environment. This findings has also helped to lay a strong foundation for behaviorist theory
which then influenced the later psychological and educational research in education (Leahey,
2000).

The Law of Effect is one the significant contributions to behaviorism by Thorndike. Based on
this theory, an action or behavior that results in satisfying outcomes will more likely to be
repeated, however actions that are followed by unpleasant or negative outcomes will less likely
to recur. This law also emphasized that rewards and punishment can influence a behavior. For
instance, the cat in his experiment that pressed the lever successfully to get out from the box and
receive food will likely repeat its action in the future. On the other hand, if a specific action does
not result in a positive outcome, the behavior will likely decrease. Thus, this idea provides a
foundation in the development of operant conditioning and brings impact in various fields such
as education and behavioral therapy (Staddon, 2019). Until today, there are still studies and
researches that continue to explore deep in the law of effect.

Another law that is established by Edward Thorndike is the law of exercise. According to
Thorndike, the law of exercise is about the connection between the connection of stimuli and
responses that can be strengthened by repeating an exercise and it also can be weakened when
the practice is stopped. This law emphasizes the importance of practicing consistently in the
process of learning. According to Thorndike, when a behavior or process is being practiced more
frequently, the connection between the stimuli and response will become stronger which further
enhances the certain behavior. However, the association between the stimulus and response will
be weakened over time and the repetition of the behavior will be reduced. A study conducted by
Kang (2016) showed that spaced repetition can enhance long-term retention and effective
learning, which reflects the implication of Thorndikes in educational settings. Besides, Tarek
(2024) also stated that adaptive learning technologies are able to enhance the outcomes of
students based on individual student performance, which also incorporates the Law of Exercise.

In the context of current issues, the application of Thorndike Theory can be used in different
contexts such as education, educational technology, classroom management and others. As an
educator and a master student in educational psychology, understanding and incorporating this
theory is important to help enhance the effectiveness of the overall teaching and learning
process. One of the issues in the educational context is the student behaviors and discipline in
school. Managing student behavior has always been a challenging issue and the problems are
often referred to as student misbehavior, breaking rules and deviant behavior. According to
James in Daily Express (2023), he mentioned that students that have discipline problems at
school have poor academic performance and studies have shown that the student academic
performance is associated with non-compliance with school discipline. The disciplinary issues
that are increasing in number among school students require approaches to improve student
behavior.

One of the approaches that can be integrated to manage and improve student behavior is the
implementation of the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PIBS) program. The main
objective of the program is to encourage positive reinforcement to enhance desired behavior and
reduce unwanted behavior. According to Sugai and Horner (2019), a study conducted has shown
that when the program is implemented in schools, the disciplinary issues among students have
been reduced and it has significantly improved the emotional well-being of students as well.
Several activities have been included in the program such as counseling sessions and emotional
management workshops which can help to promote positive behavior among students.

The law of effect by Thorndike is relevant in this context of behavioral intervention. The law
mentioned that a behavior that is followed by a positive and satisfying outcome is highly likely
to be repeated but a behavior with a negative outcome is less likely to be repeated. In the PIBS
program, one of the main components is providing rewards for positive behavior. The rewards
given to students can be in the form of small give, points, certificates, praise and others. Such
actions that use positive reinforcement can increase the motivation of students to continue
displaying good behavior (Simonsen & Myers, 2018). Besides, according to SchoolRewards.me
(2023), one of the examples of PBIS can be integrated in school is the House Points System. In
this system, the students will be divided into different houses or teams that will compete with
each other to gain points through displaying positive behaviors. In the end, students can
individually redeem the points gained at the school store for prizes and the house that achieved
the highest points at the end of the month will enjoy events like pep rally or ice cream party.
Such an approach not only can reinforce the positive behavior among individuals but also foster
a sense of community and teamwork. Besides that, there is also a system or platform like
LiveSchool which can be used by educators to distribute, track and trade points for student
rewards (WhyLivesSchool, 2023).

Furthermore, the PBIS approach also implements disciplinary measures to reduce undesirable
behavior where prevention instead of punishment strategy is adopted. For instance, a student that
displays negative behavior or breaks the school rules will be subjected to counseling sessions or
other corrective actions. This strategy is aligned with the law of effect to decrease negative
behavior through appropriate consequences. A study by Valerie (2023) supported this by
indicating that the implementation of PBIS in school with a structured approach to discipline is
proven to have a decrease in suspension of students. The study also stated that students that
understand the application of rules and consequences with positive reinforcements can improve
the overall school behavior significantly.

Moreover, the National Education Association (NEA) has released research that highlights the
improvement in academic achievements and decrease in disciplinary events in schools that use
PBIS frameworks. The NEA observes that by establishing clear standards for conduct and
continuously reinforcing them in all school settings, the PBIS model contributes to the
development of a healthy school culture (NEA, 2023). Furthermore, an Edutopia article
describes how PBIS has been successful in certain US schools, showing how regular positive
reinforcement combined with suitable consequences can create a more favorable learning
environment. In addition, there is evidence that PBIS deployment in schools improves student
conduct and academic achievement over the long run. A study by Horner et al. (2020) found that
dropout rates decreased and student engagement significantly improved in schools that
consistently implemented PBIS tactics over a period of years. This long-term implementation
emphasizes how crucial it is to sustain a supportive and productive learning environment through
consistent disciplinary actions and positive reinforcement (Horner et al., 2020).

In short, disciplinary issues are the ongoing issue that requires effective management in the
Malaysian education system. By integrating Thorndike's law of effect, programs such as PBIS
have shown how appropriate discipline actions along with positive reinforcement can help
enhance student behavior. A positive school environment can be fostered when students
consistently get praise for their actions which can enhance them to repeat the behavior. Thus,
schools, families, and the community working together can establish a helpful and productive
learning environment that helps pupils in all aspects.
References

Dol, C. (2023, October 19). Decline in students’ discipline a major challenge. Home.
https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/221923/decline-in-students-discipline-a-major-challenge

Horner, R., Sugai, G., & Lewis, T. (2020). Sustaining PBIS Implementation: Key elements and
considerations. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 22(4), 201-211.

Kang, S. H. K. (2019). Spaced repetition promotes efficient and effective learning: Policy
implications for instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 6(1), 101-
108.

National Education Association (NEA). (2023). Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports:
A multi-tiered approach to social, emotional, and behavioral support. Retrieved from NEA.

Sugai, G., & Horner, R. (2019). School-wide positive behavior supports: Primary systems and
practices. Teaching Exceptional Children, 51(3), 73-83.

SchoolRewards.me. (2023). Transform Your School with PBIS Rewards - Join

SchoolRewards.me Today! Retrieved from SchoolRewards.me

WhyLiveSchool. (2023). How and Why to Reward PBIS Points in Your Classroom. Retrieved
from WhyLiveSchool