superstition-in-the-pigeon.pdf

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1、www.all-about-psychology.comPresentsSuperstitioninthePigeonByB.F.Skinner(1948)FirstPublishedinJournalofExperimentalPsychology,38,168-172Tosaythatareinforcementiscontingentuponaresponsemaymeannothingmorethanthatitfollowstheresponse.Itmayfollowbecauseofsomemechanicalconnectiono

2、rbecauseofthemediationofanotherorganism;butconditioningtakesplacepresumablybecauseofthetemporalrelationonly,expressedintermsoftheorderandproximityofresponseandreinforcement.Wheneverwepresentastateofaffairswhichisknowntobereinforcingatagivendrive,wemustsupposethatconditioningt

3、akesplace,eventhoughwehavepaidnoattentiontothebehavioroftheorganisminmakingthepresentation.Asimpleexperimentdemonstratesthistobethecase.Apigeonisbroughttoastablestateofhungerbyreducingitto75percentofitsweightwhenwellfed.Itisputintoanexperimentalcageforafewminuteseachday.Afood

4、hopperattachedtothecagemaybeswungintoplacesothatthepigeoncaneatfromit.Asolenoidandatimingrelayholdthehopperinplaceforfivesec.ateachreinforcement.Ifaclockisnowarrangedtopresentthefoodhopperatregularintervalswithnoreferencewhatsoevertothebird'sbehavior,operantconditioningusuall

5、ytakesplace.Insixoutofeightcasestheresultingresponsesweresoclearlydefinedthattwoobserverscouldagreeperfectlyincountinginstances.Onebirdwasconditionedtoturncounter-clockwiseaboutthecage,makingtwoorthreeturnsbetweenreinforcements.Anotherrepeatedlythrustitsheadintooneoftheupperc

6、ornersofthecage.Athirddevelopeda'tossing'response,asifplacingitsheadbeneathaninvisiblebarandliftingitrepeatedly.Twobirdsdevelopedapendulummotionoftheheadandbody,inwhichtheheadwasextendedforwardandswungfromrighttoleftwithasharp1movementfollowedbyasomewhatslowerreturn.Thebodyge

7、nerallyfollowedthemovementandafewstepsmightbetakenwhenitwasextensive.Anotherbirdwasconditionedtomakeincompletepeckingorbrushingmovementsdirectedtowardbutnottouchingthefloor.Noneoftheseresponsesappearedinanynoticeablestrengthduringadaptationtothecageoruntilthefoodhopperwasperi

8、odicallypresented.Intheremainingtwocases,conditionedresponseswerenot