Mechanical Problem Box Designed by B. F. Skinner

Object Details

Gerbrands, Ralph

Description

This is a mechanical problem box, part of a Skinner box designed for Fred S. Keller by B.F. Skinner in 1935 and used to study the behavior of rats. The brass lever has rounded end plugs to discourage gnawing. The food dispenser is a disc of black plastic, turned by the fall of a lead weight. The disk has two rings of holes - when one ring was emptied, a small adjustment opened the other (the adjustment is now missing). The escapement allows the disk to turn one step when the lever is pressed, but only if the wire arm is in the upper ready position. The arm is put in position from outside the apparatus by turning a thread (the thread is now lacking). The movement of the lever steps a ratchet which wound up the thread to a cumulative recorder. The recorder and thread are missing, but holes in the shaft bearing the ratchet indicate where it could be attached.

Reference:

B.F. Skinner, The Shaping of a Behaviorist, 1979, p. 167, 361.

Location

Currently not on view

Credit Line

Gift of Fred S. Keller

ID Number

1985.0075.01

accession number

1985.0075

catalog number

1985.0075.01

Object Name

problem box

Physical Description

rubber (overall material)

brass (overall material)

Measurements

overall: 17 cm x 12 cm x 21.5 cm; 6 11/16 in x 4 23/32 in x 8 15/32 in

place made

United States: Massachusetts, Cambridge

See more items in

Medicine and Science: Mathematics

Teaching Machines

National Museum of American History

Subject

Psychology

Record ID

nmah_690061

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-0b0e-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa