An experimentation game named after B. F. Skinner's operant-conditioning chamber. You press a button with a hidden reward rule, gather evidence, then judge whether the treats followed a real pattern or were pure chance. Correct calls build your streak.

What patterns can the box run?

Four regimes: pure chance at a fixed rate, fixed-ratio (every Nth press pays), fixed-interval (a treat refills on a timer and the next press collects it), and a timing rule that only rewards presses after a long enough wait.

Statistical thinking and a slice of behavioural psychology. Reinforcement schedules explain why slot machines hook people, and apophenia · seeing patterns in randomness · is the bias this game trains you to resist.

Vary your behaviour. Press quickly in a burst to expose a ratio rule, then wait and press to expose a timer or a patience rule. If treats ignore everything you change, chance becomes the best explanation.

Yes · higher difficulty picks subtler schedules whose payout rates sit close to the random tier, and instead of a simple pattern-or-random call you must name WHICH schedule was running from a line-up.

Skinner Box · Pattern or Pure Chance? · Français

One button, a hidden reward rule. Experiment, then make the call · real pattern or pure chance?

Press the button, watch when treats drop, then judge · real reward pattern or pure chance? JavaScript required.

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