[From Rick Marken (970703.1550)]
Me:
Given the apparent ubiquitousness of this belief (that natural
selection and reinforcement are closed loop control processes)
it seems to me that it is rather useless and irrelevant to continue
to try to demonstrate that natural selection and reinforcement are
really _not_ control models. They simply _are_ closed loop control
models from the point of view of too many people.
Bill Powers (970803.1121 MDT)
That's kind of a downer. I've spent most of my life trying to
persuade psychologists that the control model ought to be
considered, and now they're "reinventing" it, or at least
adopting the language.
I've now spent a large fraction of my life doing the same thing.
It is a _major_ downer. I'm afraid that I don't deal with my
moods nearly as well as you do, though -- ergo my impatience
with many of the "control theorists" who post here.
I know that lots of psychologists have become aware of my work
over the years. But they don't address it directly; instead,
they think up refutations of their understanding of my proposals
without actually saying they're aimed at my ideas -- my work is
seldom mentioned...I know that I pretend that I don't care about
such stuff, but I really do. It all seems terribly unfair.
Well, your pretending has certainly confirmed your status as a
saint in my hagiography. But I don't mind being a sinner so I am
happy to note that those who are busy refuting and reinventing
(without attribution) your beautiful, brilliant discovery/creation
(PCT) are a special kind of life form, commonly known as _slime_.
Best
Rick
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Richard S. Marken Phone or Fax: 310 474-0313
Life Learning Associates e-mail: rmarken@earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~rmarken/