FAQ
Questions about the virtual rat lab
What is Leverlore?
Leverlore is a virtual operant conditioning lab that runs in the browser. You name a simulated rat, arrange contingencies in a Skinner-box style chamber, and watch its lever pressing build a live cumulative record. It is meant for students of behavior analysis and psychology, including ABA and BCBA candidates.
Is it free? Do I need an account?
It is free to use, with no account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Open the site and the lab starts.
What can I study with it?
Continuous reinforcement and the four simple schedules (FR, VR, FI and VI), extinction and spontaneous recovery, stimulus discrimination and generalization, concurrent schedules and the matching law, hand-shaping with a clicker, and the effects of hunger, reinforcer size, delay and response effort.
Is the rat's behavior real data?
No. The rat is a simulation driven by published quantitative models of operant behavior and tuned against rat data where it exists. Records show typical patterns, with session-to-session variability, but they are not recordings of real animals.
Can it replace older virtual rat software in my course?
For the core exercises, usually yes: shaping, the simple schedules, extinction, spontaneous recovery, discrimination and cumulative records are all covered. Leverlore runs in a current browser on Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, tablets and phones, with no install or license. Check that the specific exercises in your syllabus are covered before switching.
Does it help with the BCBA exam?
It can help you understand and read the graphs behind several content areas. Guided labs and practice items are tagged with content areas from the BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.) to show alignment for study purposes. Leverlore is not affiliated with or endorsed by the BACB, and it is not a substitute for an exam-prep course.
Where is my data stored?
In your own browser. Your rat's name, settings and practice scores are saved in local storage on your device and are not uploaded. Clearing your browser data resets them.
Can I export my results for a lab report?
Yes. Each session's event log downloads as a CSV file and the graphs download as PNG images.
Does every simulated rat show an extinction burst?
No, and that is on purpose. In the research literature a burst at the start of extinction is often reported but not universal, and whether one is detected depends on how it is measured. Leverlore rats sometimes burst and sometimes do not.
Who made Leverlore?
It was designed and built by the creator, a BCBA. The art, text, code and behavior engine are original work.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by the BACB. More detail: schedules of reinforcement, notes for instructors, about Leverlore.