skinners research

• To study it he scientifically experimented on animals creating a ‘Skinners box’
• A rat (or pigeon) would be put in the box in which light temperature noise would be kept constant
• On one wall of box there would be a lever and a tube that could deliver the food to the animal when the lever was pressed
• Initially rat is likely to wander around box aimlessly until it accidently presses the lever and receives food
• Skinner would leave the animal in the box and measure how frequently the animal pressed the lever over time to see whether the animal had learnt the consequences of its actions.