The Parable of the Behavioral Science Experiment

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, what incentive is enough to get cooperation again in Washington?”

Josh spoke thus:

A behavioral scientist was demonstrating an experiment to a colleague.

“What we do, is we set up a room with a group of large randomly shaped boxes and two chairs,” the behavioral scientist said, “We place each of the chairs on opposite sides of the room, and scatter the other shapes randomly around the room.  Then we bring the test subjects into the room, and we sit each in a chair.”

The behavioral scientist and the behavioral scientist’s colleague watched as two subjects were placed on chairs.

“Now we hang a prize--some food--high up in the middle of the room, near the ceiling,” the behavioral scientist said, “And we observe.”

A trap door opened in the ceiling, and the food was lowered.

“Note that all of the objects and both chairs are needed to reach the prize,” the behavioral scientist said.

The behavioral scientist and the behavioral scientist’s colleague watched as both subjects eyed the prize.  One of the subjects moved to directly below the prize, looking up.  The second subject looked up as well, but the second subject did not move.

Next, the first subject began to gather objects from around the room and to stack them beneath the prize.  The second subject watched.  As the first subject became absorbed in building a stack of objects beneath the prize, the second subject suddenly dashed to the first subject’s chair, seized it, and returned with it to the other chair.

The first subject rushed to the second subject, retrieved its chair and returned its chair to its original spot.

“How curious,” the behavioral scientist’s colleague said.

“It gets better,” the behavioral scientist said, “Watch.”

When the first subject had placed the chair in its original place, the first subject returned to building the stack beneath the prize.  The second subject again rushed to the first subject’s chair.  This time, instead of retrieving its own chair, the first subject grabbed the second subject’s chair.  Both subjects returned to their starting points and sat on the other’s chair, each subject glaring at the other.

This pattern repeated itself until the first subject carried its chair while it worked, eventually using the chair as the high point of the stack beneath the prize.  At this point it became clear that the first subject needed the second subject’s chair to reach the prize.

The first subject climbed down and approached the second subject.  As soon as the first subject came near, the second subject rushed up the stack and grabbed the first subject’s chair.  The first subject, now with the second subject’s chair, approached the stack.  When it did so, the second subject rushed down the stack with the other chair.

This cycle repeated itself for a number of minutes, until the behavioral scientist’s assistants entered the room and led both subjects out.  Both subjects gazed longingly at the prize as they left.

“It’s like this every time,” the behavioral scientist said to the behavioral scientist’s colleague, “They never learn to cooperate.”

“And how long does it take the chimps to complete the same task?” the behavioral scientist’s colleague asked.

“The first time, the chimps complete the task in about ten to fifteen minutes,” the behavioral scientist said, “Subsequent attempts take just as long as it takes the chimps to gather the pieces and stack them, a few minutes.”

“And the politicians never solve the puzzle?” the behavioral scientist’s colleague asked.

“You saw how they behave,” the behavioral scientist said.

“I’d never have thought that,” the behavioral scientist’s colleague said.

“You don’t have CSPAN, do you?” the behavioral scientist asked.