B.F.Skinner rigged the cages of eight pigeons so that food was delivered every 15 seconds.Within a short time most of the pigeons were practicing some sort of consistent ritual,even though the ritual did not have the least effect on the delivery of the reinforcer.The birds were:
A)demonstrating spontaneous recovery.
B)developing phobias.
C)trained by vicarious learning.
D)behaving superstitiously.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The pigeons were developing superstitious behavior because they were performing consistent rituals even though they had no effect on the delivery of the reinforcer. This phenomenon is known as superstitious behavior and was studied extensively by Skinner.

BFSkinner Rigged the Cages of Eight Pigeons So That Food