B.F.Skinner rigged the cages of pigeons so that food was delivered every 15 seconds.Within a short time,most of the pigeons were practising some sort of consistent behaviour,even though the behaviour did not have any effect on the delivery of the reinforcer.The birds were
A)demonstrating spontaneous recovery.
B)developing phobias.
C)demonstrating the partial reinforcement effect.
D)behaving superstitiously.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The pigeons were behaving in a superstitious manner, as they were displaying repetitive behaviors that were not actually linked to the reinforcement (food delivery). This is because they believed that their actions were causing the reinforcement, even though they were not.

BFSkinner Rigged the Cages of Pigeons So That Food Was