马林斯效应是填充橡胶的力学响应的一个特殊性质，其应力应变曲线依赖于其历史上的最大负载，即会发生瞬时和不可逆的软化，此现象以橡胶学家伦纳德·马林斯的名字命名。如果负载小于历史上的最大负载，橡胶主要表现为非线性弹性行为。马林斯效应不要与佩恩效应混淆。

尽管马林斯效应主要是指填充橡胶的应力软化，这一现象在各种橡胶里都发生，包括口香糖（没有填充剂的橡胶）。马林斯及同事的证明，当最大应变时应力为常数时，弹性体收缩应力与添加的碳黑无关。马林斯应力软化是一种粘弹性效应，尽管在填充橡胶中，填充粒子与高分子链键断键，对力学回线有贡献。

The Mullins effect is a particular aspect of the mechanical response in filled rubbers in which the stress–strain curve depends on the maximum loading previously encountered. The phenomenon, named for rubber scientist Leonard Mullins, working at the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre in Hertford, can be idealized for many purposes as an instantaneous and irreversible softening of the stress–strain curve that occurs whenever the load increases beyond its prior all-time maximum value. At times, when the load is less than a prior maximum, nonlinear elastic behavior prevails. The effect should not be confused with the Payne effect.