John Flach

[From Dick Robertson,2003.08.12.1640CDT]

Bill Powers wrote:

[From Bill Powers (2003.08.11.0815 MDT)]

Rick Marken (2003.08.11.1830)--

Just to update those interested:

A month or two ago, John Flach of Wright State College wrote a joint paper
with Rick and me on a PCT model of pursuit tracking. The conclusion of the
paper was that long-established ideas about adaptation of human control
systems were upset by finding that a control system could control under
highly variable conditions -- without any change in its internal
characteristics. The appearance of adaptation under different load
conditions proved to be an illusion.

John felt this was a highly significant finding. Rick and I both admired him
for coming to this view, as he was the co-author of a book, just published,
in which adaptation was featured in at least one major chapter (chapter 14,
for those who have the book, "Control theory for humans" by Jagacinski and
Flach)..

A quick comment from the "soft science" side of CSG. Yessir, if I understood
your comment correctly, John Flach would seem to be one of those incredibly
rare and precious individuals who, with a large stake in some status quo, has
the bigness of mind to averre that he might have had a wrong idea.

Such a person should not go uncelebrated.

Best, Dick R

[From Rick Marken (2003.08.14.1145)]

Jeff Vancouver, (2003.08.14.1258 EST)

Can I get a copy of that ["Adaptation Illusion" - rsm] paper from one of you?

I think the paper is going to take some more time. One of the authors is still
reorganizing. As soon as we have a final version I'll send out copies to those
who want them, if all the authors agree.

Best

Rick

···

---
Richard S. Marken, Ph.D.
Senior Behavioral Scientist
The RAND Corporation
PO Box 2138
1700 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138
Tel: 310-393-0411 x7971
Fax: 310-451-7018
E-mail: rmarken@rand.org

[from Jeff Vancouver, (2003.08.14.1258 EST)]

Can I get a copy of that paper from one of you?

Jeff

···

-----Original Message-----
From: Control Systems Group Network (CSGnet)
[mailto:CSGNET@LISTSERV.UIUC.EDU] On Behalf Of Richard Robertson
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 4:40 PM
To: CSGNET@LISTSERV.UIUC.EDU
Subject: Re: John Flach

[From Dick Robertson,2003.08.12.1640CDT]

Bill Powers wrote:

[From Bill Powers (2003.08.11.0815 MDT)]

Rick Marken (2003.08.11.1830)--

Just to update those interested:

A month or two ago, John Flach of Wright State College wrote a joint

paper

with Rick and me on a PCT model of pursuit tracking. The conclusion of

the

paper was that long-established ideas about adaptation of human

control

systems were upset by finding that a control system could control

under

highly variable conditions -- without any change in its internal
characteristics. The appearance of adaptation under different load
conditions proved to be an illusion.

John felt this was a highly significant finding. Rick and I both

admired him

for coming to this view, as he was the co-author of a book, just

published,

in which adaptation was featured in at least one major chapter

(chapter 14,

for those who have the book, "Control theory for humans" by Jagacinski

and

Flach)..

A quick comment from the "soft science" side of CSG. Yessir, if I
understood
your comment correctly, John Flach would seem to be one of those
incredibly
rare and precious individuals who, with a large stake in some status
quo, has
the bigness of mind to averre that he might have had a wrong idea.

Such a person should not go uncelebrated.

Best, Dick R