[From Rick Marken (951206.1045)]
Chris Cherpas (951206.1006 PT) --
I don't have time to respond to the details of your proposed experiment
yet, Rick, but I think it's a very interesting idea.
Well, I hope that you can find time to respond REAL SOON now. One reason why
I suggested this project is because we've been waiting for operant data from
Bruce Abbott for over a year.
I want to compare reinforcement theory to control theory _now_. (And now is a
particulary appropriate time since the Galileo probe enters Jupiter
tommorrow; Galileo, as you recall, was the fellow who showed the
"reinforcement" theorists of his day the evidence that their model was wrong;
it's time to turn the PCT telescope on the "earth-centered" theory of today:
reinforcement theory ).
I'm not sanguine about ratio schedules, though. Without thinking about it,
I'd like to propose concurrent VIs. Anyway, I've just found a choice
procedure to be more sensitive to parameters of reinforcement. More later...
I hope so. I don't care much which schedule we use; we should be able to
select any schedule easily via the program; but I would like to keep the
experiment as simple as possible. You would have to convince me (using
working models), that it is really necessary to use a "choice procedure" to
compare the reinforcemetnt and control models (if you suggest that such a
procedure really must be used).
Like my hero (Galileo) I like to keep things clear and simple. And that's why
my other hero is William T. Powers; and why one of my main un-heros is
B.F. Skinner -- Skins to you;-)
Best
Rick