Principles of operant conditioning have been used to help explain why people get attached to "lucky" hats, charms, and rituals. Using these principles, explain how an athlete might show this type of behavior

How did Skinner demonstrate the phenomenon of superstitious behavior with pigeons in his laboratory?

What will be an ideal response?


Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
? Superstitious behavior can be learned through operant conditioning.
? For example, you might be wearing a new pair of socks during the first game that your basketball team wins.
? Even though the socks had nothing to do with the win, wearing the socks is followed by reinforcement.
? Skinner taught pigeons to behave superstitiously by rigging their cages to deliver food every 15 seconds regardless of what they were doing.
? Whatever the animal happened to be doing when the food was delivered was reinforced.
? Within a short time, the pigeons were practicing some sort of consistent ritual, such standing on one foot or turning counterclockwise, even though these behaviors had nothing to do with getting reinforcement.

Psychology

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Which of the following describes the two personality factors originally developed by Hans Eysenck?

a. ?how much flexibility is exhibited and how much comfort is felt when in the presence of others b. ?the level of activity and the degree of social conformity c. ?where a person’s energy is focused and how much control is exerted over emotions d. ?where a person looks for a sense of self and the degree of self-acceptance

Psychology

A child who experiences head trauma and brain damage to the left hemisphere may not experience lifelong language deficits because

A) the brain remains flexible or malleable through childhood. B) neural plasticity allows lost functions to be recovered. C) the right hemisphere may take over the work of language specialization. D) all of the above

Psychology

During __________, exposure to teratogens is most often associated with minor defects in bodily structure or improperly functioning body systems

a. conception c. the period of the fetus b. the period of the embryo d. the period of the zygote

Psychology

Discuss the factors that contribute to adolescent moodiness

What will be an ideal response?

Psychology