[From Stefan Balke (01.04.11.0035 CET)]
Rick Marken (01.04.10.1400)
I just don't see this as a particularly productive way of going about
things. ... I think this approach to understanding things
is similar to the "just so" story approach to understanding behavior
taken by evolutionary psychologists.
Okay, I see you are right. I was an assistant of one of Konrad Lorenz
assistants. This coined me 
I really would encourage you to approach this somewhat differently;
using a verbal version of the test rather than simply relying on a
person's verbal description of what they control (even if these verbal
descriptions are sometimes accurate).
I agree that doing the test should be the way. Do you think that it`s
possible to carry out the test with oneself for example with tasks of
self-discipline? If I disturb my controlled variables with new reference
values, will this be a proper test situation? Do I experience my own
reference values as long as they produce no error if they are compared with
the value of the input function? Can I know something about my reference
values just by asking myself sitting in the armchair? Or is it always
necessary to see how I counteract outside disturbances to controlled
variables? Sometimes I have the impression that there is some kind of proof
of extrem reference values in dreams. Maybe this is a kind gathering
internal informations about oneself.
Do you think that a verbal version of the test could be carried out in the
form of a questionaire including questions in the sort of:
I have a hypothesis about the perceptual variable under control (being the
most important adult in the live of the spouse) and invent a situation,
where this perception is maybe or maybe not affected. The test is positive
if the person consistently gives answers to counteract the disturbances to
the perceptual variable (being number one). He should do something
(consistently in one or another way) to influence his wife in a way that she
gives him the "number one" impression. The test is negative if the person
doesn't try to gather informations about how the spouse evaluates the smart
compliment giver in relation to how she evaluates himself.
Please answer the following questions:
Imagine you and your spouse are invited at a party and a smart good looking
person makes intelligent and charming compliments to your spouse and ignores
you. Your spouse is delighted and ignores you too.
What would you think most likely? a) ... b)... c)...
What would you do most likely? a)... b)... c)...
Would you have other thoughts if you notice that the smart gay is
homosexual? .......
Would you do other things if you notice that the smart gay is homosexual?
.......
Would you have other thoughts if you notice that the smart gay is her new
chief? .......
Would you do other things if you notice that the smart gay is her new chief?
.......
And so on.
What do you think about (self-)cheating in this form of doing the test? And
do you think that could be a way of doing a verbal form of the test?
Best regards,
Stefan