[From Rick Marken (960203.1110)]
I just realized what Bruce was up to when he asked:
Bruce Abbott (960203.1155 EST) --
Now here's one for you, Rick. (I can't resist either!) Does the
environment control behavior?
I answered "no" but Bruce might say "yes" because in EAB "control"
really means "influence". If this is the case then I will give
qualified agreement; "yes, behavior does influence behavior". But
the qualification is that the word "behavior" must be taken to
refer to the actions that influence controlled (spontefacted) results
and not to the results themselves.
Since EABers don't distinguish actions from results, the notion
that they are studying the "influence" of environmental variables
on behavior is a little misleading. For example, one of the main
"influences" on behavior, according to EAB, is reinforcement. But
reinforcement is a result of action, not an influence on it.
The variables that influence actions are those that are disturbances
to controlled (spontefacted) results; if reinforcement rate is
controlled then variables that influence reinforcement rate, other
than the actions of the organsim, are influences on "behavior".
So in order to determine the variables that influence behavior
(action) you must, in the process, determine what behavior
(results) the organism intends to produce (spontefact). But one
you know what the organism controls (spontefacts) you implicitly
know all the variables that will influence its "behavior" (actions
that influence the spontefacted variable).
So the best answer to the question "Does the environment influence
behavior" is probably "yes, but not in any important way"
Best
Rick