{"id":{"repo_id":"central-wash","oai_identifier":"oai:digitalcommons.cwu.edu:etd-1948"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/central-wash/oai:digitalcommons.cwu.edu:etd-1948","repository":{"repo_id":"central-wash","name":"Central Washington University","base_url":"https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"An Experimental Analysis of Superstitious Behavior in College Males","abstract":"The possibility that superstitious responses would occur when aversive stimulation was randomly presented was investigated. There were three groups of 20 male introductory psychology students each. The Shock Group (SG) was given 45 unavoidable shocks. The Reinforcement Shock Group {RSG) was given 100 positive reinforcements and then 45 unavoidable shocks. The Reinforcement Punishment Group received 100 positive reinforcements and then 45 response contingent shocks and served to test the effectiveness of the shock as a punishing stimulus. Superstitious responses seemed to occur, but Ss of SG showed response patterns typical of punishment, while Ss of RSG showed increases in rates of responding but not decreases. It was concluded that superstitious responses appear to occur when aversive stimulation is arbitrarily introduced, but that the type of superstitious response occurring will be influenced by a S's reinforcement history.","abstract_html":"The possibility that superstitious responses would occur when aversive stimulation was randomly presented was investigated. There were three groups of 20 male introductory psychology students each. The Shock Group (SG) was given 45 unavoidable shocks. The Reinforcement Shock Group {RSG) was given 100 positive reinforcements and then 45 unavoidable shocks. The Reinforcement Punishment Group received 100 positive reinforcements and then 45 response contingent shocks and served to test the effectiveness of the shock as a punishing stimulus. Superstitious responses seemed to occur, but Ss of SG showed response patterns typical of punishment, while Ss of RSG showed increases in rates of responding but not decreases. It was concluded that superstitious responses appear to occur when aversive stimulation is arbitrarily introduced, but that the type of superstitious response occurring will be influenced by a S's reinforcement history.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Metzler, Nancy Alice"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Marion D. Harless","Thomas B. Collins, Jr.","Robert Hudson"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1968,"date_issued":"1968-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"1968-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:37:23Z","subjects":["Psychology","Reinforcement (Psychology)","Conditioned response","Experimental Analysis of Behavior","Social and Behavioral Sciences"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/922","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Marion D. Harless","Thomas B. Collins, Jr.","Robert Hudson"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Metzler, Nancy Alice"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Psychology","Reinforcement (Psychology)","Conditioned response","Experimental Analysis of Behavior","Social and Behavioral Sciences"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/922"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The possibility that superstitious responses would occur when aversive stimulation was randomly presented was investigated. There were three groups of 20 male introductory psychology students each. The Shock Group (SG) was given 45 unavoidable shocks. The Reinforcement Shock Group {RSG) was given 100 positive reinforcements and then 45 unavoidable shocks. The Reinforcement Punishment Group received 100 positive reinforcements and then 45 response contingent shocks and served to test the effectiveness of the shock as a punishing stimulus. Superstitious responses seemed to occur, but Ss of SG showed response patterns typical of punishment, while Ss of RSG showed increases in rates of responding but not decreases. It was concluded that superstitious responses appear to occur when aversive stimulation is arbitrarily introduced, but that the type of superstitious response occurring will be influenced by a S's reinforcement history."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An Experimental Analysis of Superstitious Behavior in College Males"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Marion D. Harless","Thomas B. Collins, Jr.","Robert Hudson"],"dc:creator":["Metzler, Nancy Alice"],"dc:description.abstract":["The possibility that superstitious responses would occur when aversive stimulation was randomly presented was investigated. There were three groups of 20 male introductory psychology students each. The Shock Group (SG) was given 45 unavoidable shocks. The Reinforcement Shock Group {RSG) was given 100 positive reinforcements and then 45 unavoidable shocks. The Reinforcement Punishment Group received 100 positive reinforcements and then 45 response contingent shocks and served to test the effectiveness of the shock as a punishing stimulus. Superstitious responses seemed to occur, but Ss of SG showed response patterns typical of punishment, while Ss of RSG showed increases in rates of responding but not decreases. It was concluded that superstitious responses appear to occur when aversive stimulation is arbitrarily introduced, but that the type of superstitious response occurring will be influenced by a S's reinforcement history."],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/922"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["Psychology","Reinforcement (Psychology)","Conditioned response","Experimental Analysis of Behavior","Social and Behavioral Sciences"],"dc:title":["An Experimental Analysis of Superstitious Behavior in College Males"],"dc:type":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:37:23Z"}