[From Rick Marken (960701.1600)]
Ben Dattner (960701.1600) --
I'm interested in whether the phenomenon of menstrual synchrony poses a
challenge to PCT insofar as individuals influence one another.
I'd be interested, too.
The menstrual cycles of women who live or work in close proximity tend to
synchronize
How strong is the tendency? PCT can't explain random noise any better than
other theories;-)
Turke (1988) gives an evolutionary explanation for this phenomenon
I'd like to know what the phenomenon is and whether it really exists before I
try to explain it with PCT.
This paper will examine ways in which the phenomenon of menstrual synchrony
challenges the assumptions made by Perceptual Control Theory about the
mechanisms by which people or systems are able to influence one another.
Excellent. PCT needs challenges; otherwise people just have to take it on
faith (and many do).
The traditional PCT approach to interpersonal influence is that most often
influence involves blocking the other party's outputs
What!?!?!?!
sometimes it is possible to control the other party's inputs, but that it is
never possible to directly influence the reference signal of any other
system.
It is possible to indirectly influence reference signal settings; it's just
impossible to indirectly _control_ them arbitrarily.
I will argue that as in menstrual synchrony, dyadic social influence can
involve direct control over another person's reference signal
Who said that menstrual synchrony, if it exists, involves "direct control
over another person's reference signal"? If menstrual synchrony is, indeed, a
control phenomenon (syncrony is a controlled variable) then each person
involved is setting their own references for the perception of synchrony.
What would cause a problem for PCT is if the synchrony acts as though its
under control but there is no evidence that this variable can be perceived
or, if it can, that people can have any effect on it. That is, PCT would have
a real problem if you found evidence to support McClintock's (1983)
description of what's going on in menstrual synchrony.
Is there any evidence that menstrual synchrony is controlled?
Best
Rick