Watson: Behavior is NOT the control of perception.

CSGnet Archive CSG2011
1

[From Bill Powers (2011.04.08.1040 MDT)]
Rereading “psychology as the behaviorist views it” by J. B.
Watson ( on the way to looking something else up), I found this passage
in the second paragraph which I usually skip for the sake of my blood
pressure.
Emacs!
…
Emacs!
That is a graphic (two of them) so don’t try to copy it as text. The
original PDF is attached.
Here Watson clearly states the basic thesis of PCT for the purpose of
showing how obviously wrong it is. Had he realized that all
perception is introspection, had he paused to experiment with causing a
few perceptions to change, had he seen that the goal of action is to
control actual perception relative to an imagined perception, PCT might
have been born in 1913. But Watson had a different model in mind, and
offered these comments only as a preliminary to describing his vastly
superior and highly scientific ideas. Watson’s famous article therefore
set psychology back by at least 60 years – 98 years if you think of all
the unnecessary detours caused by behaviorism, all the difficulties it
has caused us, in the years up to now.

Best,

Bill P.

(Attachment 587217.jpg is missing)

(Attachment 587255.jpg is missing)

WatsonPsych.pdf (1.37 MB)

2

(Gavin Ritz 2011.04.09.9.32NZT)

[From Bill Powers
(2011.04.08.1040 MDT)]

Rereading “psychology as the behaviorist views it” by J. B. Watson (
on the way to looking something else up), I found this passage in the second
paragraph which I usually skip for the sake of my blood pressure.

Bill

Who cares I wouldn’t waste one iota
of energy on it. All heights come with great struggles.

Einstein was up against 100 years of scientific gobble-de-gook of the aether.

Here Watson clearly states the basic thesis of PCT for the
purpose of showing how obviously wrong it is. Had he realized that all perception is introspection, had he
paused to experiment with causing a few perceptions to change, had he seen that
the goal of action is to control actual perception relative to an imagined
perception, PCT might have been born in 1913. But Watson had a different model
in mind, and offered these comments only as a preliminary to describing his
vastly superior and highly scientific ideas. Watson’s famous article therefore
set psychology back by at least 60 years –

That’s how the world works.

98 years if you think of
all the unnecessary detours

Detours are how the world works. As an
engineer you may think in straight lines. But an ant never finds it food in straight
lines.

caused by behaviorism,
all the difficulties it has caused us, in the years up to now.

So it’s a challenge.

Would you really like to have it any other
way?

I’m having a challenge right now on
this list with list members not understanding the basics of Energetics. That’s
how it works.

You have a challenge in getting your ideas
across, that’s the challenge of life.

You have been extremely successful in this
adventure.

I was chatting to another colleague who was
at a conference in 1988 in Felton???, he says, you where there, Pask, Von Glaserfield, Maturana etc and he
thought your theory was very good.

Regards

Gavin

Best,

Bill P.

3

[From Bill Powers (2011.04.08.1635 MDT)]

Gavin Ritz 2011.04.09.9.32NZT –

I was chatting to
another colleague who was at a conference in 1988 in Felton???, he says,
you where there, Pask, Von Glaserfield, Maturana etc and he thought your
theory was very good.

Yes, there was a session on the ideas of von Glasersfeld, Maturana, and
Powers. I don’t recall that Pask was there, though I think there may be
several other things I don’t recall so that may not be significant. The
emphasis was strongly cybernetic, meaning that I was sort of the third
party in a two-way conversation. But there were those who appreciated
what I had to say.
Ernst von Glasersfelt died last year a few years after his nice wife
Charlotte died of Alzheimer’s. He was a friend since the 1970’s and I
keep thinking of writing things to him and then remembering that it’s too
late. Our paths crossed at the juncture with his concept of “radical
constructivism,” which we express in PCT by saying “It’s
all perception.” It was Ernst who said “The brain isn’t
the black box; the environment is.”

Best,

Bill P.

···

Regards

Gavin

Best,

Bill P.

4

(Gavin Ritz 2011.04.09.13.59NZT)

[From Bill Powers
(2011.04.08.1635 MDT)]

Gavin Ritz 2011.04.09.9.32NZT –

I was
chatting to another colleague who was at a conference in 1988 in Felton???, he says, you where
there, Pask, Von Glaserfield, Maturana etc and he thought your theory was very good.

Yes, there was a session on the ideas of von Glasersfeld,
Maturana, and Powers. I don’t recall that Pask was there, though I think there
may be several other things I don’t recall so that may not be significant. The
emphasis was strongly cybernetic, meaning that I was sort of the third party in
a two-way conversation.

I would have loved to be there.

But there were those who
appreciated what I had to say.

It seems like a fair few did.

Within the next 50 years it will be regarded
as the splitting of ways and the foundation of psychology.

Ernst von Glasersfelt died last year a few years after his nice
wife Charlotte died of Alzheimer’s.

I’m sorry to hear this about his
wife. This must have been terrible.

He was a friend since the
1970’s and I keep thinking of writing things to him and then remembering that
it’s too late. Our paths crossed at the juncture with his concept of
“radical constructivism,” which we express in PCT by saying

“It’s all perception.” It was Ernst
who said “The brain isn’t the black box; the environment is.”

How right you are.

Regards

Gavin

···