An edition of _Scientific American Frontiers_ shown tonight on our local
cable TV's learning channel documented a study undertaken in France to
determine what size of cage hens prefer. The idea was that happier hens
might produce more eggs; perhaps the standard cage sizes in use in French
commercial hen houses might not be the size hens like best. So the hens
were given a button to peck. Pecking the button moved one of the cage walls
outward a small amount with each peck. Meanwhile a motor drive very slowly
moved the walls inward. Turns out the chickens adjusted the wall position
to provide cage space about double the legal minimum, but much smaller than
the apparatus allowed.
Of course, the chickens (but not the researcher) knew all about PCT (either
instinctively, or from reading B:CP), so when the wall was closer than the
preferred (reference) position, they pecked to move it outward. Because of
the disturbance (motor driving wall slowly inward), they had to keep pecking
at an average rate sufficient to keep the wall near its reference position.
Proving, of course, that PCT research is for the birds.
Of course, the chickens (but not the researcher) knew all about PCT (either
instinctively, or from reading B:CP), so when the wall was closer than the
preferred (reference) position, they pecked to move it outward. Because of
the disturbance (motor driving wall slowly inward), they had to keep pecking
at an average rate sufficient to keep the wall near its reference position.
Proving, of course, that PCT research is for the birds.
Now if psychologists were only half as smart as chickens....
An edition of _Scientific American Frontiers_ shown tonight on our local
cable TV's learning channel documented a study undertaken in France to
determine what size of cage hens prefer. The idea was that happier hens
might produce more eggs; perhaps the standard cage sizes in use in French
commercial hen houses might not be the size hens like best. So the hens
were given a button to peck. Pecking the button moved one of the cage walls
outward a small amount with each peck. Meanwhile a motor drive very slowly
moved the walls inward. Turns out the chickens adjusted the wall position
to provide cage space about double the legal minimum, but much smaller than
the apparatus allowed.
Amazing how clearly we can see even a chicken's intentions when the subject
is allowed to control the variable in question. I presume that the legal
minimum cage size was immediately changed.
>Now if psychologists were only half as smart as chickens....
And if Bruce Gregory were only half as smart as psychologists, wow, we'd
_really_ be getting somewhere . . . (;->
I could never aspire so high.
I am a psychologist. Rick Marken is a psychologist. Martin Taylor is a
psychologist. Tom Bourbon is a psychologist. Chris Cherpas is a
psychologist. David Goldstein is a psychologist. Wayne Hershberger is a
psychologist. Dennis Delprato is a psychologist. (Did I miss anyone?)
There are damn near enough psychologists here to start our own association.
I, for one, believe that I'm at least _two-thirds_ as smart as chickens.
You'll get no argument from me (Isaac take note)
I
can't speak for the rest, although they all seem like bright enough fellows
to me.
An edition of _Scientific American Frontiers_ shown tonight on our local
cable TV's learning channel documented a study undertaken in France to
determine what size of cage hens prefer. The idea was that happier hens
might produce more eggs; perhaps the standard cage sizes in use in French
commercial hen houses might not be the size hens like best. So the hens
were given a button to peck. Pecking the button moved one of the cage walls
outward a small amount with each peck. Meanwhile a motor drive very slowly
moved the walls inward. Turns out the chickens adjusted the wall position
to provide cage space about double the legal minimum, but much smaller than
the apparatus allowed.
Amazing how clearly we can see even a chicken's intentions when the subject
is allowed to control the variable in question. I presume that the legal
minimum cage size was immediately changed.
Why would you assume that? I might prefer a home twice as spacious as the
one I have now, but that doesn't mean the government should pass a law to
guarantee that I will have one. The described research was part of a larger
project with the objective of improving egg production, under the assumption
that "happier" hens would produce more. If the relatively crowded
conditions present in the current henhouse stress the hens and thereby lead
to lowered production, then a good case could be made to the farmers to
increase the cage size above the legal minimum. However, this has yet to be
shown. An interesting outcome of the described research is that the hens'
preferred cage size was not all that much larger than the legal minimum --
possibly disconcerting to those who would argue that the hens should not be
confined at all.
Bruce Gregory (971216.2130 EST) --
Now if psychologists were only half as smart as chickens....
And if Bruce Gregory were only half as smart as psychologists, wow, we'd
_really_ be getting somewhere . . . (;->
I am a psychologist. Rick Marken is a psychologist. Martin Taylor is a
psychologist. Tom Bourbon is a psychologist. Chris Cherpas is a
psychologist. David Goldstein is a psychologist. Wayne Hershberger is a
psychologist. Dennis Delprato is a psychologist. (Did I miss anyone?)
There are damn near enough psychologists here to start our own association.
I, for one, believe that I'm at least _two-thirds_ as smart as chickens. I
can't speak for the rest, although they all seem like bright enough fellows
to me.
[From Bruce Abbott (971217.1410 EST)]
shown. An interesting outcome of the described research is that the
hens'
···
preferred cage size was not all that much larger than the legal minimum
--
possibly disconcerting to those who would argue that the hens should not
be
confined at all.
Bruce, did all the chickens in the experiment live in cages prior to the
experiment? I'd be interested in what the preferred size of cage might be
for a chicken who spent the great majority of it's day pecking around the
farmyard and was rarely (or never) in a cage.
In a message dated 97-12-17 16:38:27 EST, you write:
[Tim]
<<
<<Bruce, did all the chickens in the experiment live in cages prior to the
<<experiment? I'd be interested in what the preferred size of cage might be
<<for a chicken who spent the great majority of it's day pecking around the
<<farmyard and was rarely (or never) in a cage.
Cheers,
Tim
>>
Also a varriation on the study would be nice --- Put 2 chickens in 1 box to
see if the size of the box doubles, and if chickens would cooperate -- each
taking turns being the Pecker.
And if Bruce Gregory were only half as smart as psychologists, wow, we'd
_really_ be getting somewhere . . . (;->
just for the record i gag on ;-)ishness from whatever Bruce, though i can't
recall any from Nevin. No biggie.
Also Tom Bourbon does not consider himself a psychologist, he considers himself
a Perceptual Control Theorist. He feels the distinction important enough that
he has voiced this publically and in private on many occassions.
And one little last point..I think Dr. Runkel could also be included if the
list was liberal enough to include Rick!--imagine a happy face.
(Isaac take note)