Affectively-Align & Culturally Aware ABA Notebook

My buddy B.F Skinner–yes, the behaviorist legend– once dropped this hilarious truth bomb: "The difference between rats and humans is that rats learn their lessons." At first, I laughed, but then I realized he might be onto something. After all, Skinner spent years watching rats press levers for snacks, while humans... well, we keep making the same mistakes despite knowing the consequences. Case in point: me, asking my husband for a not so mini charcuterie board for a snack while binge-watching Game of Thrones at 2 a.m. (Skinner would have facepalmed.)

Skinner's work with operant conditioning proved that reinforcement shapes behavior– rats figured it out fast, but humans? Not so much (Skinner, 1938). We know procrastination leads to all-nighters, yet here we are, binge watching mukbang instead of working. Meanwhile, Skinner's rats mastered complex tasks for pellet. Maybe we're the ones who need the Skinner Box intervention.

To be fair, humans can learn– just slowly, Skinner (1953) argued that behavior is modifiable, but we're stubborn. Rats? One bump at the door for not looking if it's close or open, and they're done. Humans? We'll touch the stove twice. Still Skinner's humor reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously. After all, if rats can outsmart us in learning efficiency, maybe we should laugh– and actually learn something.

So next time you repeat a mistake, channel my buddy Skinner. Ask: "Would a rat be this dumb?" If the answer's yes, congratulations–you're on par with the rodent. If not, well... at least you're funnier than a lab rat.

References:

Skinner, B.F. (1938). The behavior of organisms: An experimental analysis. Appleton-Century.

Skinner, B.F. (1953). Science and human behavior. Simon and Schuster.