Edward Thorndike

Edward Thorndike was an influential American psychologist known for his work in educational psychology and the study of animal behavior. He is best known for formulating the Law of Effect, which states that responses followed by satisfying outcomes are more likely to be repeated, and those followed by unpleasant outcomes are less likely to be. His research laid the groundwork for behaviorism and significantly impacted theories of learning and intelligence. Thorndike's studies also contributed to the understanding of the 'halo effect,' a cognitive bias where the perception of one positive trait influences the perception of other unrelated traits.