The Superstitious Pigeon: B. F. Skinner 1948 Keon West

Summary

Dr. Kian West from the University of Leeds discusses B.F. Skinner's 1948 experiment on superstition in pigeons. By using operant conditioning, Skinner demonstrated how pigeons could develop superstitious behaviors through non-contingent reinforcement. This concept translates to human behavior, where people can mistake non-contingent reward schedules for variable reinforcement, leading to superstition. West explores how such behaviors are part of everyday life, with humans often engaging in superstitions like lucky charms or rituals. The video emphasizes the psychological mechanisms behind these actions and their potential effects on our well-being.

Takeaways

• 😀 Operant conditioning involves reinforcing or punishing behaviors to encourage or discourage them.
• 😀 Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by a rewarding stimulus, such as giving a food pellet to a pigeon.
• 😀 A Skinner box is a controlled environment used to study animal behavior, where specific actions are reinforced with rewards.
• 😀 Reward schedules play a significant role in maintaining behaviors, including fixed ratio, variable ratio, and non-contingent schedules.
• 😀 A fixed ratio reward schedule provides a consistent reward for a specific behavior, while a variable ratio schedule rewards behavior unpredictably, encouraging more action.
• 😀 A non-contingent reward schedule gives rewards randomly, unrelated to the animal's behavior, leading to superstitious behaviors.
• 😀 Pigeons in Skinner's experiment developed superstitions, such as hopping on one foot or turning around in circles, after receiving rewards randomly.
• 😀 The pigeon’s superstitions were an unintended result of the non-contingent reinforcement schedule, where they believed their actions caused the rewards.
• 😀 Humans, much like pigeons, can develop superstitions when they mistake random rewards for a consistent cause-effect relationship.
• 😀 Superstitions, while often not scientifically proven, can give people a sense of control and comfort, lowering anxiety or stress levels.
• 😀 While superstitions can be harmless and even psychologically beneficial in small doses, severe superstition can be detrimental and should be carefully managed.

Q & A

What is operant conditioning?

Operant conditioning is a method of learning where behavior is encouraged or discouraged through reinforcement (rewards) or punishment. It involves either giving something or taking something away to influence behavior.

What is the purpose of a Skinner box?

A Skinner box is a controlled environment used in animal behavior research, where an animal is trained through operant conditioning. The box allows precise control over the rewards given to the animal for specific behaviors.

What role does positive reinforcement play in operant conditioning?

Positive reinforcement involves giving a reward to encourage a certain behavior. In the context of the Skinner box, this might include giving food to a pigeon for performing a desired action, like pressing a lever.

How does a variable ratio reward schedule work?

In a variable ratio reward schedule, the rewards are given at unpredictable intervals. This causes the individual to continue engaging in the behavior, as they don't know when the next reward will come, which is similar to the behavior seen in gambling.

What is a non-contingent reward schedule?

A non-contingent reward schedule means that rewards are given randomly, regardless of the behavior performed. This breaks the connection between the action and the reward, leading to superstitious behavior in both animals and humans.

How did Skinner's experiment with pigeons demonstrate superstitious behavior?

In Skinner's experiment, pigeons received food pellets on a non-contingent schedule, meaning the rewards were given randomly. As a result, the pigeons began to associate their previous actions with receiving food, leading them to repeat arbitrary behaviors like hopping or head tossing, thinking it caused the reward.

How does superstition in humans compare to the pigeons' behavior in Skinner's experiment?

Humans also tend to form superstitions when they mistake a non-contingent reward schedule for a variable ratio reward schedule. This leads people to continue engaging in behaviors (like lucky charms or rituals) because they associate them with positive outcomes, even though there is no real link.

Why do people continue superstitious behaviors, even when they know they don’t work?

People continue superstitious behaviors because they experience a sense of control or comfort from them. Even though the behavior doesn’t directly influence outcomes, it reduces anxiety and may offer a sense of security or hope.

What are the potential effects of superstition on people's behavior?

While severe superstitions can be harmful, mild superstitions can provide emotional benefits, such as lowering stress or increasing a sense of control. However, these behaviors are not scientifically linked to the desired outcomes.

How can understanding operant conditioning help us recognize superstitions in everyday life?

Understanding operant conditioning can help us recognize how we may mistakenly link actions to outcomes due to random reinforcement, leading to superstitions. This knowledge encourages a more critical evaluation of our behaviors and beliefs.