B.F. Skinner’s Pigeon and a Red Block
Posted by situationistguest on May 13, 2008
In this one-minute video from the B.F. Skinner Foundation, a pigeon uses a red block as a stand. A pigeon positions itself on a block so that a leaf that was out of its proximity before becomes within its reach.
May 14, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I think this video is quite interesting. If you interpret it from a strictly behavioristic point of view, it doesn’t make a lot of sense, since the pigeons behavior is not reinforced. I think assuming that the pigeon somehow has a cognitive model of the situation provides a better explanation for what is going on here than the classic behavioristic approach.