Superstitious Behavior

Modified: 2020-03-27

Skinner demonstrated that behaviors selected at random and reinforced would be maintained. This finding was extended to superstitious behavior. Superstitious behavior is when conditioning occurs to R-->S^R pairings that simply happen by chance. In other words, there is no contingency between the two, but subjects act as if there were.

For example, consider the pairing of holding a rabbit's foot and getting a high grade on a test. Now, the next time a test comes around, you hold the rabbit's foot. Most likely, there is no connection between test taking and holding a rabbit's foot, but you act as if there were.

Another example is wearing "lucky socks." Baseball players might do this. Suppose a hitter is in a slump; his mother sends him some new socks, he wears them, and he gets three hits in the next game. What does he do next? He wears the socks again. What is the likelihood of the socks having contributed to his getting the three hits?

So, when a response and a reinforcer follow each other, but only by chance, a superstitious behavior may develop.

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