Scientists placed monkeys in a cage with a ladder containing bananas. Any monkey climbing the ladder would cause all the monkeys to be sprayed with cold water. Over time, the monkeys began beating up any monkey that tried to climb the ladder, even though the punishment was no longer occurring. When monkeys were substituted, the new monkeys and those remaining continued beating up any monkey trying to climb the ladder, despite none of them ever experiencing the original punishment. The monkeys had learned this was the norm without understanding the original reason.