Two Skinner boxes are side by side. The rat in the first Skinner box gets a food pellet every time it presses the bar. The rat in the second Skinner box gets a food pellet every 10 times it presses the bar. If the food-dispensing mechanism is shut off, the rat in the first Skinner box will quit pressing the bar sooner than the rat in the second Skinner box does.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The rat in the first Skinner box is used to receiving a food pellet every time it presses the bar, so when the food-dispensing mechanism is shut off, it will stop pressing the bar sooner as it will realize that pressing the bar no longer leads to a reward. On the other hand, the rat in the second Skinner box is used to receiving a food pellet after every 10 bar presses, so it may continue pressing the bar for a longer period of time, hoping to receive a reward eventually.

Two Skinner Boxes Are Side by Side