PSYC101: A Case of Operant Conditioning with a Malfunctioning Door
Our graduate student office, shared by the Psychology and Social Work departments, faced an ongoing issue with the newly installed door lock system. The electronic key card reader outside was unreliable, sometimes malfunctioning but eventually working again.
Inside, the only way to open the door was to press the electronic button, despite the sign’s insistent “Please press hard.” Yet, we often needed multiple forceful presses to unlock the door, its defiance mocking the sign’s polite request.
This, being an electronic lock, made absolutely no sense. Suspecting faulty wiring, I contacted the department, requesting a proper inspection. Their response, however, was dismissive. “It opens eventually,” they shrugged, ignoring my concerns.
Despite primarily working at the kindergarten and only returning to the office for tutorials, this quirky door lock became more than just a minor nuisance. I felt compelled to act. Unfortunately, my concerns weren’t universal. Classmates who frequented the office seemed perfectly okay with the “repeated press workaround,” treating it as a mere annoyance, not a repair-worthy issue. As a result, the malfunctioning door continued to mock us with every forceful press, remaining unaddressed for quite some time.
