Successive approximation

While disparagement and scorn being heaped on the ramifications of most pop and modern psychology techniques would be a mercy to them, and by virtue the psychologists who propagated them, B.F. Skinner may have been on to something concerning the idea of successive approximation. To get a squirrel to ride on water skis without some imminent, immediately threatening incentive would be nearly an insurmountable task. But to get a squirrel to a squirrel to go near a pool of water to get some pecans would be relatively easy, if not natural. If, in the vein of operant conditioning, one moved the pecans to a float in the middle of the pool and only a narrow wire led out to the nutty treats, the squirrel, though slightly disenfranchised, would likely exert the extra effort to obtain the same reward. If this stage were successful, moving the protein-rich food source onto a tiny pair of plastic skis near the edge of the water would be and pulling the skis once the squirrel was on them to a larger stockpile of nuts would likely ingrain in the neural pathway of squirrel that the skis are a conduit to a full belly. Finally, even the skis without the initial nut-based incentive would attract the squirrel to ride the skis to a gold mine of snacks at the middle of the pool. The aforementioned, though slightly odd, psychological experiment has been performed successfully on real squirrels. All this to show that one can lead others or be led by others to do somewhat irrational things through just a few steps of ‘upping the ante’ one slight step at a time. This may be a helpful analogue to understand temptation as well. You may not torture women in your basement, but watching pornography might be the first step down the dark stairwell. You may not slug every human being you disagree with, but subtle snobbery and pride might be the initial clenching of a tight fist. You might not rob banks, but not being a bad tipper or cheating on your taxes might be the first trying on of the presidential Halloween masks.