B. F. Skinner

  In game design class, we have been looking at the effects of rewards on gameplay. We were asked to do some research on the psychologist B. F. Skinner. Skinner is notable for his innovation of a new philosophy of science called radical behaviorism. This theory is based in the idea of operant conditioning, where one's behaviors can be modified by their consequences. Central to all of this is Skinner's principle of reinforcement. In psychology, reinforcement is the strengthening of a behavior due to its association with a stimulus, as opposed to punishment, which weakens a behavior. Skinner's principle of reinforcement says that if the consequences are good, then one's actions will be reinforced, while if the consequences are bad, one's actions will be punished.

  Skinner tested his ideas in his "Skinner Box," more scientifically known as the operant conditioning chamber. This apparatus allows researchers to expose animal test subjects to stimuli like lights and sound signals. The chamber delivers a reward to the animal, such as food, after it successfully performs a behavior. These devices allow for experimentation in behavior and conditioning through reward and punishment mechanisms.

  I suppose the idea of the Skinner Box can be applied to game design and testing. Reinforcement and punishment can work very well in giving the game an interesting balance. For example, the game Dishonored makes good use of this idea by offering the player different sets of rewards and punishments depending on if they want to approach the game violently or nonviolently. A game is a lot like a Skinner Box. Players are conditioned by the rules and mechanics of the game, which they must follow in order to receive a reward. This means that there is a lot of potential for experimentation in the conditioning that a game allows, and by experimenting, maybe developers can find new ways to influence player motivations.