A pigeon is left overnight in a Skinner Box. The mechanism is set to give out a food pellet every five minutes, no matter what the animal does. In the morning the researcher finds the pigeon tucking its head under its wing and moving in a counter-clockwise circle. What has most likely happened?
A) Spontaneous recovery has happened.
B) Sequential learning took place during the night.
C) The bird has developed superstitious behaviour.
D) Classical conditioning has shaped the bird's behaviour.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that the pigeon is moving in a particular pattern and tucking its head under its wing suggests that it has developed a superstitious behavior, which is a behavior that is accidentally reinforced and subsequently repeated because it occurred in the presence of a reward. The pellet being dispensed every 5 minutes, irrespective of the pigeon's behavior, may have led to the development of such behaviors.

A Pigeon Is Left Overnight in a Skinner Box