 A test in a deliberately artificial environment explored the Queensland P. fimbriata ′ s ability to solve a novel problem by trial and error . A little island was set up in the middle of a miniature atoll , and the space between with them was filled with water . The gap was too wide for the spiders to jump all the way , and the spiders ' options were to leap and then swim or to swim only . The testers encouraged some specimens by using a tiny scoop to make waves toward the atoll when the spiders chose the option the testers preferred ( leap and then swim , or swim only ) , and discouraged some specimens by making waves back toward the island when the spiders chose the option the testers did not want – in other words , the testers " rewarded " one group for " successful " behaviour and " penalised " the other group for " unwanted " behaviour . : 284 – 286 The Queensland P. fimbriata specimens generally repeated successful behaviour and switched if the first try was unsuccessful , irrespective of which option ( leap and then swim or to swim only ) the testers chose as " good " for each specimen . : 1215 
