Alpha 2.0
Login Register
» Articles » PMID: 16811432

Superstitious Key Pecking After Three Peck-produced Reinforcements

Overview
Journal J Exp Anal Behav
Specialties Psychology
Social Sciences
Date 1970 Mar 1
PMID 16811432
Citations 27
Authors
A J Neuringer
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

The first three pecks on a response key by experimentally naive pigeons produced grain reinforcements. Thereafter, for approximately 50 experimental sessions and under a variety of schedule conditions, grain was presented independently of the subjects' behaviors. The pigeons continued to peck the response key "superstitiously" throughout the 50 sessions. The results suggest that superstitions are commonplace-not relatively infrequent or abnormal events-in the behavior of pigeons.

Citing Articles

The neuropharmacological profile of interval responding during operant tasks.

Lalonde R, Strazielle C Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2024; 397(10):7551-7560.

PMID: 38814460 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-024-03155-y.

Bridging the gap between laboratory and applied research on response-independent schedules.

Ingvarsson E, Fernandez E J Appl Behav Anal. 2022; 56(1):55-77.

PMID: 36440664 PMC: 10099982. DOI: 10.1002/jaba.965.

Adjunctive behaviors are operants.

Killeen P, Pellon R Learn Behav. 2013; 41(1):1-24.

PMID: 23359373 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-012-0095-1.

Concurrent behavior: are the interpretations mutually exclusive?.

Lyon D Behav Anal. 2012; 5(2):175-87.

PMID: 22478568 PMC: 2742057. DOI: 10.1007/BF03392385.

Humble behaviorism.

Neuringer A Behav Anal. 2012; 14(1):1-13.

PMID: 22478072 PMC: 2733448. DOI: 10.1007/BF03392543.

References
1.
Zeiler M . Fixed and variable schedules of response-independent reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1968; 11(4):405-14. PMC: 1338502. DOI: 10.1901/jeab.1968.11-405. View
2.
Morse W, Skinner B . A second type of superstition in the pigeon. Am J Psychol. 1957; 70(2):308-11. View
3.
Appel J, Hiss R . The discrimination of contingent from noncontingent reinforcement. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1962; 55:37-9. DOI: 10.1037/h0044613. View