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Skinner was inspired to create his operant conditioning chamber as an extension of the puzzle boxes thatEdward Thorndikefamously used in his research on thelaw of effect. Skinner himself did not refer to this device as a Skinner box, instead preferring the term “lever box.”

How a Skinner Box Works

The design of a Skinner box can vary depending upon the type of animal and theexperimental variables. It must include at least one lever, bar, or key that the animal can manipulate.

When the lever is pressed, food, water, or some other type of reinforcement might be dispensed. Other stimuli can also be presented, including lights, sounds, and images. In some instances, the floor of the chamber may be electrified.

The Skinner box is usually enclosed, to keep the animal from experiencing other stimuli. Using the device, researchers can carefully study behavior in a very controlled environment. For example, researchers could use the Skinner box to determine which schedule of reinforcement led to the highest rate of response in the study subjects.

Today, psychology students may use a virtual version of a Skinner box to conduct experiments and learn about operant conditioning.

The Skinner Box in Research

Imagine that a researcher wants to determine which schedule of reinforcement will lead to the highest response rates. Pigeons are placed in chambers where they receive a food pellet for pecking at a response key. Some pigeons receive a pellet for every response (continuous reinforcement).

Partial Reinforcement Schedules

Other pigeons obtain a pellet only after a certain amount of time or number of responses have occurred (partial reinforcement). There are several types of partial reinforcement schedules.

Once the data has been obtained from the trials in the Skinner boxes, researchers can then look at the rate of responding. This will tell them which schedules led to the highest and most consistent level of responses.

Skinner Box Myths

A Word From Verywell

The Skinner box is an important tool for studying learned behavior. It has contributed a great deal to our understanding of the effects of reinforcement and punishment.

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Operant conditioning chamber. In:APA Dictionary of Psychology.American Psychological Association.B.F. Skinner Foundation.Biographical information.Schacter DL, Gilbert DT, Wegner DM.Psychology.2nd edition. Worth, Inc., 2011.Ray RD, Miraglia KM.A sample of CyberRat and other experiments: Their pedagogical functions in a learning course.J Behav Neurosci Res. 2011;9(2):44-61.

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Operant conditioning chamber. In:APA Dictionary of Psychology.American Psychological Association.B.F. Skinner Foundation.Biographical information.Schacter DL, Gilbert DT, Wegner DM.Psychology.2nd edition. Worth, Inc., 2011.Ray RD, Miraglia KM.A sample of CyberRat and other experiments: Their pedagogical functions in a learning course.J Behav Neurosci Res. 2011;9(2):44-61.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Operant conditioning chamber. In:APA Dictionary of Psychology.American Psychological Association.B.F. Skinner Foundation.Biographical information.Schacter DL, Gilbert DT, Wegner DM.Psychology.2nd edition. Worth, Inc., 2011.Ray RD, Miraglia KM.A sample of CyberRat and other experiments: Their pedagogical functions in a learning course.J Behav Neurosci Res. 2011;9(2):44-61.

Operant conditioning chamber. In:APA Dictionary of Psychology.American Psychological Association.

B.F. Skinner Foundation.Biographical information.

Schacter DL, Gilbert DT, Wegner DM.Psychology.2nd edition. Worth, Inc., 2011.

Ray RD, Miraglia KM.A sample of CyberRat and other experiments: Their pedagogical functions in a learning course.J Behav Neurosci Res. 2011;9(2):44-61.

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