In a message dated 4/18/2001 3:11:39 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
bgregory@CFA.HARVARD.EDU writes:
<< [From Bruce Gregory (2001.0418.1510)]
Consider the following situation. I tell you to continue down the road
until you reach a stop sign, then turn left. Following my instructions can
be interpreted as controlling a sequence. Clearly driving down the road is
a control process, as is turning left. A PCT model is clearly appropriate
for these two processes. But what about recognizing the stop sign? If this
is a control process, what perceptions are you controlling? How are you
controlling them?>>
[Chuck Tucker (2001.0419.0918)]
One could not accomplish the instructions if she could not recognize a "stop
sign." As part of learning to drive one has to know what a "stop sign" is as
well as a variety of other road signs. You can examine the driver's text
manual for any state and you will find pages of signs with descriptions that
a driver must know to pass the test and get a driver's license. Sign differ
mainly by their shape and color as well as the words on the sign but the
shape is the most notable difference. A "stop sign" is always the shape of a
six-sided hexagon. Even if the color is not red (as is the case in many
"gated communities" at Hilton Head, North Litchfield and Kelsey Glenn just up
the road from my house) the shape of a hexagon is maintained even though the
color of the sign is gray, green or blue. My bet is that if you gave a set of
signs to a five year old child with just the shape and color she would be
able to tell you which sign is a "stop sign." BTW, the perception is called
a "configuration."
On the "sun." If you don't think the "sunrise" is not a perception you
should notice what people say when we change to "daylight time" from
"standard time" when the sunrise within about 4 hours changes its time of
appearance. Some people (it seems to be related to aging) have a difficult
time adjusting to this change while others I have talked with like the change
since they find it depressing to have it get dark so early. It turns out my
friends who lived in Alaska from March to October found it depressing with
only 4 hours of sunlight and tiring having 22 hours of sunlight.
If you don't think that the "sunset" is a perception I invited you to go to
Mallory Square in Key West FloriDA any day at the time of the "sunset" and
join in the celebration with at least 300 hundred other people. Attached is
one among about 500 photos that were taken on 2001.0217:
(Attachment P2170024.JPG is missing)