The ripple effect is an eucation-related term associated with the studies of Jacob Kounin. It involves the effects that a reprimand in a group has on members of the group who are not the intended targets of the reprimand (or desist, as Kounin coins it). The ripple effect can also apply if students are not reprimanded to correct a behavior. For example, if one student is talking when he or she is not supposed to be talking, and is not reprimanded, the behavior will spread like a ripple through water, as the rest of the class becomes increasingly more likely to talk at inappropriate times. However, this example does not necessarily apply in all situations, as many variables are introduced through human interaction as in a classroom setting.