[From Bruce Gregory (2003.0327.1143)]
Bill Powers (2003.03.27.0803 MST)
How successfully such principles have been put into
practice I do not know in detail; one can't help wondering, if punishment
and reward have really been eliminated, why Ed speaks so often about
separating students from their peers, and restoring the "privilege" of
being with their friends in the classroom. Removal of and restoration of
privileges as a way of encouraging right behavior is not the sort of
approach I would associate with PCT. I could be wrong, and expect to be
told I am.
You're wrong! (I didn't want to disappoint you 
I'm just not sure why
you say that removal of and restoration of priveleges is not the sort
of behavior you would associate with PCT. It is certainly possible to
model this mechanism using PCT is it not? If so, what is the problem?
PCT can predict the kinds of problems associated with this mechanism of
controlling behavior and thus enable the person contemplating
implementing the system to do so with greater appreeciation of the
likely outcomes.
By the way, the current situation in Iraq demonstrates the shortcomings
of predicting what human beings will do when confronted with
punishment/reward mechanisms.
[From Bill Powers (2003.04.27.1118 MST)]
Bruce Gregory (2003.0327.1143)--
>I'm just not sure why
> you say that removal of and restoration of priveleges is not the sort
>of behavior you would associate with PCT. It is certainly possible to
>model this mechanism using PCT is it not? If so, what is the problem?
No problem. But if we were actually trying to devise a school "discipline"
program based on PCT, we wouldn't deliberately introduce the problems to
which you allude here:
PCT can predict the kinds of problems associated with this mechanism of
controlling behavior and thus enable the person contemplating
implementing the system to do so with greater appreeciation of the
likely outcomes.
I think Rick is right in saying that some people, including whoever
designed Ed Ford's web page, claim that PCT is "based on" PCT. However, I
think that "based on" is being used in the same sense that a movie is said
to be based on the book with the same title. I've never taken it as a
serious scientific claim, except to the extent that Tom Bourbon had some
say in what was taught about PCT. It now appears that Tom's attempts to
make sure that RTP didn't contradict PCT were not really appreciated and
that his absence will make the link to PCT even less certain.
Best,
Bill P.
I'm just not sure why