The subject is left alone in front of a machine with a number of dials, buttons and levers. The subject can interact with the machine however he wants. Sometimes, a piece of candy comes out of the machine. The experimenter comes back in after a while, and asks the subject how to interact with the machine for a piece of candy to come out. Most subjects will have discovered a sequence of actions that will lead to this result. However, the simplest correct answer is that the machine hands out a piece of candy every 30 seconds.
This was explained to me in a bar back in 2002 (approximately), by someone who had just seen a cinema documentary featuring this experiment. I am unable to find the name of the experiment; maybe someone else can help?
It reminds me distinctly of the skinner box experiment, which was essentially the same, but done with pigeons (who, of course, could not actually explain their procedures)
It also rather reminds me of actors avoiding macbeth, athletes wearing lucky garments, etc. etc.
This reminded me of another experiment:
The subject is left alone in front of a machine with a number of dials, buttons and levers. The subject can interact with the machine however he wants. Sometimes, a piece of candy comes out of the machine. The experimenter comes back in after a while, and asks the subject how to interact with the machine for a piece of candy to come out. Most subjects will have discovered a sequence of actions that will lead to this result. However, the simplest correct answer is that the machine hands out a piece of candy every 30 seconds.
This was explained to me in a bar back in 2002 (approximately), by someone who had just seen a cinema documentary featuring this experiment. I am unable to find the name of the experiment; maybe someone else can help?
It reminds me distinctly of the skinner box experiment, which was essentially the same, but done with pigeons (who, of course, could not actually explain their procedures)
It also rather reminds me of actors avoiding macbeth, athletes wearing lucky garments, etc. etc.