Skinner Box

Skinner box: Behavior. The popular term for a type of test chamber associated with the experimentation of B. F. Skinner, consisting of a box or container in which a subject animal, typically a rat, is confined, a bar or other device to which the animal can respond, and a dispenser for delivering a reinforcement such as food or water. It is also possible to deliver punishers such as electric shock through the floor of the chamber. In essence, a not necessarily pleasant learning environment for rats (and ferrets, and occasionally foxes).