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Skinner Box, the

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

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Synonyms

Lever box; Operant conditioning chamber

Definition

A laboratory apparatus developed by B. F. Skinner in operant conditioning experiments to study animal behavior, which typically contains a lever that delivers reinforcement in the form of food or water upon being pressed.

Introduction

The Skinner box (also known as operant conditioning chamber) was invented by Skinner while developing his theory of operant conditioning as a graduate student at Harvard University in the 1930s. It is used in the experimental study of animal behavior and allows the experimenter to manipulate, observe, and record an animal’s behavior in response to environmental stimuli. Reinforcement delivery in the form of food or water is contingent upon a lever being pressed by the animal (usually a rat or pigeon). Responses are recorded on a cumulative recorder. The Skinner box and the cumulative recorder are two of Skinner’s most important inventions in the experimental study of behavior and played a...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Ioulia Papageorgi

Authors
  1. Ioulia Papageorgi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ioulia Papageorgi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Menelaos Apostolou

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Papageorgi, I. (2018). Skinner Box, the. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1051-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1051-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

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