[Bill Curry (2000.06.11.1315 EST)]
I would appreciate some help in mapping some common terms to PCTspeak.
1) To Cue or Not to Cue?
Suppose a person is controlling sequence A which occurs repetitively on
a regularly basis. To help control the sequence, this person uses a
device that emits a sensible signal at a rate coincident with the
desired repetition rate of the sequence. On perceiving the signal, the
subject proceeds to control the individual event steps of sequence A,
concluding them before the ensuing signal arrives.
It is tempting to consider signal perception as the first controlled
event of the repeating sequence A, but this initiating event is more
than a simple event perception of the signaling sensation. Plus, it is
not part of sequence A, per se. It bears symbolic content, i.e., the
logic instruction "proceed with the steps of sequence A". Is there a
commonly understood, distinguishing PCT term for such a
sequence-initiating environmental variable? I recall reluctance to use
the words "cue" or "prompt" in the PCT lexicon because of alledged SR
overtones. Absent SR concerns, "cue" sounds like a concise and
parsimonious term to me.
2) What is a habit:
(a) a nun's attire, (b) a learned act that is routinely and
automatically performed, (c) a wocsys (well oiled control system)?
Does the word "habit" exist in PCT or has it been relegated to the trash
heap? Is there a better term?
Best,
Bill
···
--
William J. Curry
Capticom, Inc.
capticom@landmarknet.net
[From Rick Marken (2000.06.13.1310)]
Bill Curry (2000.06.11.1315 EST)
I would appreciate some help in mapping some common terms
to PCTspeak.
Is there a commonly understood, distinguishing PCT term for
such a sequence-initiating environmental variable?
Yes. It's called a _disturbance_. The signal is an independent
environmental influence on (disturbance to) the controlled
sequence perception.
2) What is a habit:
(a) a nun's attire, (b) a learned act that is routinely and
automatically performed, (c) a wocsys (well oiled control
system)?
None of the above. I think a habit is just a regularly produced
state of a controlled perception. For example, smoking, biting
nails, drinking scotch, taking the coast route, eating after
meals; all these habits are intentionally (and regularly)
produced results, ie. controlled perceptions. In some cases,
these controlled perceptions may not actually be controlled
because there is conflict: you want to smoke and you don't
want to smoke; you want to bite your nails and you don't
want to bite your nails, etc. So repetition of the result
may represent changes in the state of a perceptual variable
due to conflict.
Best
Rick
···
--
Richard S. Marken Phone or Fax: 310 474-0313
MindReadings.com mailto: marken@mindreadings.com
www.mindreadings.com
Have I got this right? I smoke(for example) to control my perceptions. I
don't smoke also to control my perceptions. The conflict between the two
results in me smoking on and off and is labeled by some as a habit.
"Richard S. Marken" wrote:
···
[From Rick Marken (2000.06.13.1310)]
Bill Curry (2000.06.11.1315 EST)
> I would appreciate some help in mapping some common terms
> to PCTspeak.
> Is there a commonly understood, distinguishing PCT term for
> such a sequence-initiating environmental variable?
Yes. It's called a _disturbance_. The signal is an independent
environmental influence on (disturbance to) the controlled
sequence perception.
> 2) What is a habit:
>
> (a) a nun's attire, (b) a learned act that is routinely and
> automatically performed, (c) a wocsys (well oiled control
> system)?
None of the above. I think a habit is just a regularly produced
state of a controlled perception. For example, smoking, biting
nails, drinking scotch, taking the coast route, eating after
meals; all these habits are intentionally (and regularly)
produced results, ie. controlled perceptions. In some cases,
these controlled perceptions may not actually be controlled
because there is conflict: you want to smoke and you don't
want to smoke; you want to bite your nails and you don't
want to bite your nails, etc. So repetition of the result
may represent changes in the state of a perceptual variable
due to conflict.
Best
Rick
--
Richard S. Marken Phone or Fax: 310 474-0313
MindReadings.com mailto: marken@mindreadings.com
www.mindreadings.com
[From Rick Marken (2000.06.14.0800)]
Sandy wrote:
Have I got this right? I smoke(for example) to control
my perceptions. I don't smoke also to control my perceptions.
The conflict between the two results in me smoking on and
off and is labeled by some as a habit.
Yes, I think so. The main point is that the term "habit"
refers to the way an _observer_ sees your behavior. If I
(the observer) see you light up once or twice every day
I might be inclined to say that you have a "smoking habit".
The word "habit" refers to the fact that you produce the
behavior (smoking) regularly but it also implies that you
"can't help it". That last part is true only if you are
in conflict. In that case, the periods of non-smoking
represent the times when the "no smoke" system is winning
the conflict and the periods of smoking represent the
times when the "smoke" system is winning the conflict.
But PCT shows us that one can't tell just by looking at
your behavior whether or not your periodic smoking is
the result of conflict (and is, thus, something you can't
help doing) or simply something you like to do periodically.
That is, I can't tell what you are controlling by simply
looking at your behavior. I have to do The Test for the
Controlled Variable.
The term "habit" is based on a _behavioristic_ approach
to understanding behavior. The behaviorist concludes that
you have a "habit" (that you can't help performing the
behavior) if it is simply observed that the behavior is
performed regularly. So the behaviorist would say that
you have a smoking "habit" if he sees you smoke a cigarette
regularly. The behaviorist can't tell whether you are doing
this because you are in control of your smoking (you like
to have a cigarette after each meal, say, but you are fine
with having something else if cigarettes are not available) or
because you are in conflict (you want to stop smoking but you
also want to smoke and the latter side of the conflict tends
to win after eating).
Summary: Habit is a behavioristic term. It's really irrelevant
once you know how to look at behavior through PCT glasses.
Best
Rick
···
--
Richard S. Marken Phone or Fax: 310 474-0313
MindReadings.com mailto: marken@mindreadings.com
www.mindreadings.com