Mind What
You Learn
By Luis Ángel Pérez, December 23, 2016
Five sensory organs, (eyes, ears, skin,
nose & mouth), known to be important receivers of energy or information,
(aka - stimulus; singular or stimuli; plural), assist the human animal to
learn and make sense of its environments.
Some learning theorists believe that
important developments in learning & behavior are formed & governed by internal
forces, (the environment inside of a human), such as biological maturation
& the way in which a human mentally structures their thoughts. Other more
eclectic learning theorists agree that such important developments are shaped
& directed by internal forces but also by external forces, (the environment
outside of a human), such as objects, occurrences, & other stimuli as well
as the manner & frequency in which such stimuli is structured &
presented to a human.
Then you have learning theorist who
believe that important developments in learning & behavior are formed &
governed solely by the environment outside of a human. Some even go as far as boasting
about how they can easily control a human’s learning & behavior in whatever
direction they desire, by discretely & specifically structuring stimuli in
their external environment; a scientific behavioral modification/control strategy
long recognized as “conditioning”. Knowing this, one cannot help but wonder if
the verb “con”, (to swindle, cheat, defraud), is in any way a root word to the
term “conditioning”?
There are some interesting breakthroughs
& helpful applications to the behavioral control of conditioning. However,
this report focuses on another aspect of its application in order to heighten
awareness to a critical & questionable silence & powerlessness
exhibited by Psychologists in employment settings that are immensely important
to the welfare of humans.
This report briefly examines, (A) two landmark
behavioral control models that stem from scientific research known as, “Experiments
in Stimulus Discrimination”; (Classical/Respondent & Operant Conditioning),
used to conduct discrimination training, (B) several interesting ways in which such
behavioral control models have influenced the thinking & behavior of Psychologists
& other Scientists over time, (C) several modern applications of such
behavioral control models, & (D) the noticeable toxic & oppressive impact
which such applications have on modern human health, the welfare of the public,
& the ultimate survival of the human race.
Conclusively, this report draws your
attention to a vital trait, passed down from generation to generation, which you
innately possess, & which effectively empowers you to become more aware
& in control of your own response to stimuli, to produce the best results
when serving others, & which offers the entire human race the ultimate
survival advantage in our ever changing world.
Psychology is a fascinating science
that focuses on the study of how humans think, feel, and behave. Humans have
been examining and questioning these aspects of human existence for as long as
they have become, “a thing” and
awareness had, “set-in”. However,
Psychology only began to be recognized as an actual field of science during the
late 19th century.
Since 1887, that the American Journal
of Psychology was reportedly founded, Psychologists have been writing about
important features of Child Development,
Adolescence, and Education. By 1892 the world’s largest organization of
Psychologists, known as the American
Psychological Association, (or A.P.A.), was founded and by then, even more research
had been done and published about these very important areas of human life.
As time progressed, the field of
Psychology gave birth to many different subfields, (areas of specialization), such
as Developmental Psychology, Educational & School Psychology, Cognitive/Clinical & Counseling
Psychology, Behavioral Psychology,
Social Psychology, and Industrial & Organizational Psychology,
just to mention an important few relevant to the heart of this report. Although
there are many more different areas of specializations within the field of
Psychology they all share common moral
& ethical principles – a social contract, an oath, to protect the public,
abide by the precept of to “do no harm”, to be truthful, and to promote human
health.
Psychologists work in a wide
range of employment settings; some which are more obvious to the public than
others. They work in places like Hospitals, Schools, Health & Human Service
Agengies, Business Corporations, even Law Firms and different areas of Government.
In fact, just recently the American Psychological Association, (A.P.A.), came
under heated scrutiny for their alleged secret involvement, during the Bush
administration, in helping –
“… to bolster a legal and ethical justification for the torture of
prisoners … according to
a new report by a group of
dissident health professionals and human rights activists.”
“The A.P.A. secretly coordinated with officials from
the C.I.A., White House and the Department of Defense
to create an A.P.A. ethics policy on national security interrogations
which comported with then-classified legal guidance
authorizing the C.I.A. torture program, ‘the report’s authors
concluded.’”
Such involvement by
the A.P.A. allegedly,
“… enabled the Justice Department to argue in secret opinions that
the program was legal and did not constitute torture,
since the interrogations were being monitored
by health professionals to make sure they were safe.”
“… the Senate Intelligence Committee issued a detailed report that
described the program as both ineffective and abusive.”
James Risen, New York Times, April 30, 2015
The public exposure to such massive scandal
assisted in liberating humans from further harm, allegedly helped place an end
to this human-torture-program, and helped jump-start the re-evaluation &
hopeful reform to the association’s moral & ethical standards. However, a
sad truth and many questions remain.
Leaders of large health professional
organizations have long traded their oath & duty, (“to protect the public” & “do
no harm”), for access to power & influence even in far less-remote
employment settings than secret prisons around the world. They have also boldly
done so in employment settings where they work in masses, where their presence
is evident to all, and where their service is greatly
needed & expected. Places such as – Pre-Schools,
Grade-Schools, Middle-Schools, Secondary-Schools, College & Universities,
Community Programs, Hospitals, Clinics, Child Protective Services, Foster Care
Agencies, Homeless Shelters, other Health & Human Service Agencies, Law
Enforcement, & the Justice Department. Can such trade for power &
influence explain their silence?
Why are
health professionals not publicly dissenting & denouncing
the inhumane
conditions which humans,
(children, students, educators, families),
(children, students, educators, families),
are repeatedly
subjected to within such critical systems
to human health & public good?
to human health & public good?
Why are they
not incessantly & loudly calling out for the much needed
reform & accountability
reform & accountability
for the manner
in which schools & many of these
human health & safety agencies are managed?
human health & safety agencies are managed?
Why are they
not joining forces to help solve many of these societal problems
which continue
to plague the welfare of humanity &
the ultimate
survival of the human race?
These are awfully complex and difficult
questions to answer but perhaps a review of some of the thinking and behavior, (or
the Psychology), of various pioneers of the history and development of the science
will help put things into perspective.
Who Is
In Control?
Classical/Respondent
Conditioning:
The scientific term “to condition” means to adapt, modify, or
mold to respond in a particular way. To modify so that an act or response
previously associated with one stimulus becomes associated with another, (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).
Russian Physiologist & Behaviorist
Ivan Pavlov, (1849-1936), worked on a series of famous experiments which
started a movement to closely examine and attempt to quantify the effects
created by manipulating external environmental stimuli and structuring them in
specific ways in order to control behavior. Here is a brief illustration to
this landmark behavioral control model famously known as Classical/Respondent Conditioning.
FIGURE 10.1 A visual
example of the controlled environment of one of Russian Physiologist &
Behaviorist Ivan Pavlov’s Experiment in Stimulus Discrimination used to conduct
discrimination training – Classical/Respondent Conditioning, (Credit for image
– The American Genius).
A dog is placed in a restraining
harness in a dark room. A light is turned-on and seconds later food
is placed in the dog’s mouth, eliciting the salivation reflex/response.
If this procedure is repeated several times, (the presentation of food paired
with the light), after a while, the light, which initially had no
relationship to salivation, will elicit the response of salivation by itself.
Closer Look at Variables in Play
The presentation of food
here is called the Unconditioned Stimulus, (US).
Notice that you do not need to condition (modify) a dog
to salivate to food.
This is a response that
happens naturally.
The presentation of light
here is called a Conditioned Stimulus, (CS).
Notice that the light’s
effect of salivation requires conditioning (modification).
Such conditioned response
(learned response)
is elicited by repeatedly pairing the light with the food.
is elicited by repeatedly pairing the light with the food.
The salivation to
the food here is called an Unconditioned Reflex/Response, (UR).
Notice that you do not need to condition (modify)
this response because it happens naturally.
this response because it happens naturally.
The salivation to
the light here is called a Conditioned Reflex/Response, (CR).
Notice that you do need to condition (modify)
this response because it does not happen naturally.
this response because it does not happen naturally.
As a result, the dog is considered to
have been conditioned, (modified), to respond to the light by way of a learned
association intentionally elicited, (or brought-out), by someone else. You can
also produce this process of differentiation by presenting the dog different
color lights. By pairing one color with food while presenting another color
without food you can condition the dog to respond more selectively to color. These
procedures are scientifically known as experiments
in stimulus discrimination. Producing this form of differentiation is
scientifically known as discrimination
training.
Operant Conditioning:
The scientific word “operant” means to emit by or elicit from
an organism without a specific or identifiable stimulus, (Psychology Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary).
Another landmark behavioral control
model came out of experiments conducted by American Behavioral Psychologists E.L.
Thorndike: (1874 - 1949), and B.F. Skinner: (1904-1990), whom placed a lot more
emphasis on covert rewards and punishments in order to condition desired
behaviors. This particular behavioral control model is famously known as Operant
Conditioning. Here is a brief illustration to one of Skinner’s operant
conditioning experiments.
FIGURE 10.2 A visual example of one of the controlled
environments used by American Behavioral Psychologist B.F. Skinner for Experiment
in Stimulus Discrimination used to conduct discrimination training – Operant
Conditioning – which came to be known
as, “the Skinner-Box”, (Credit for image – Wikipedia).
A cat is placed in a small puzzle box
and is allowed to move around “freely” to explore on the environment; sniffing,
clawing, and jumping about. At one side of the box there is a bar/lever
which when pressed the cat is rewarded with a food pellet or water, eliciting
a favorable response (satiation). If this procedure is repeated several
times, (the presentation of food or water paired with the bar/lever
pressing), after a while, the bar/lever, which was never specifically
identified to the cat, will elicit the response of high frequency pressing.
Closer Look at Variables in Play
The presentation of food or water here is called the
Unconditioned Stimulus, (US).
Notice that you do not need to condition (modify) a cat
to want food or water.
This is a response that happens naturally.
This is a response that happens naturally.
The presentation of the bar/lever here is called a Conditioned
Stimulus, (CS).
Notice that the bar’s/lever’s
effect of increased frequency in
pressing requires conditioning (modification).
pressing requires conditioning (modification).
Such conditioned response (learned response)
is elicited by
repeatedly pairing the bar pressing with the reward (food or water).
repeatedly pairing the bar pressing with the reward (food or water).
The pressing to the bar/lever here is called an Unconditioned
Reflex/Response, (UR).
Notice that you do not need to condition (modify) this
response
because it happens naturally
because it happens naturally
as the cat freely explores
its environment.
The pressing to the increased frequency here is
called a Conditioned Reflex/Response, (CR).
Notice that you do need to condition (modify) this
response
because it does not happen naturally.
because it does not happen naturally.
As a result, the cat is considered to
have been conditioned, (modified), to respond to the bar/lever by way of a
learned association intentionally elicited, (or brought-out), by someone else. Producing
such form of differentiation by only repeatedly pairing the pressing of the
bar/lever with a reward is another example of the scientific procedure referred
to as an experiment in stimulus
discrimination which is specifically used for discrimination training.
The
Psychology Behind The Psychology
American Behavioral Psychologist B.F. Skinner,
reportedly, strongly believed that it is important for the survival of the
human race for scientists to implement lessons gathered from Experiments in Stimulus Discrimination and
discrimination training, onto society as a whole. In fact, he authored a, widely
studied and very controversial, book titled, Walden Two, (1948), where
he described a behavior modification utopia; communities where meticulously
structured and unidentified stimuli will serve to control and create humans
that are “trained” to be “productive and satisfied citizens”. A
world based on his principles of Operant Conditioning.
Pavlov’s, Thorndike’s, & Skinner’s
famous Experiments in Stimulus
Discrimination and Discrimination Training used to modify behavior, [through repeated exposure to structured
parings of otherwise unrelated, and thus, neutral stimuli, in order to elicit specific
behaviors by way of learned associations], had an immense impact on the Science
of Psychology. Behavioral Psychologists everywhere began focusing their
scientific investigations on Experiments
in Stimulus Discrimination and Discrimination Training with the intended
purpose of eliciting particular conditioned responses from humans.
In fact, one South Carolinian born
American Behavioral Psychologist, whom reportedly was very influential and thus
quite instrumental in spearheading such type of experiments all across the
field of Psychology, argued that, “… by
controlling environmental stimuli one can shape a human’s character into anything
one might desire.” He reportedly became famous for making the following
bold statement.
“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified
world to bring them up in
… and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become
any type of specialist I might select – doctor, lawyer, artist,
merchant-chief,
and yes, even beggar-man and thief,
- regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities,
vocations,
and race of his ancestors”
American Behavioral Psychologist John B. Watson, 1924
(1878 - 1958)
Modern
Implementation & Impact of Discrimination Training
Considering our current alarming school
drop-outs rates, massive incarcerations, and the existing “revolving doors” structured into the justice/prisons systems, on
the surface, one would think that the science of behavior control through
covert conditioning has proven to be an “epic
fail” in controlling behavior. On the surface, one would think that if such
scientific experiments were, in anyway, effective in controlling behavior, they
would have demonstrated such effectiveness by controlling and diminishing these
rampant behavior problems that increasingly continue to plague society and the
human race.
But have
such experiments truly grown to become “epic
fails”;
ineffective in their intentions?
ineffective in their intentions?
Because these behavioral modification
experiments were very instrumental in causing Psychologists to focus their
investigations on how environmental stimuli can be meticulously structured to
produce particular responses from humans, it is prudent that we examine the
following.
Fill
In The Blanks
Here, we will use a similar template to
the ones used above - (and similar to the template shown below in figure 10.3, titled
- Closer Look at the Variables in Play), - and we will fill in the blank
spaces with stimuli that is currently meticulously structured, repeatedly paired
and presented to humans in order to elicit specific conditioned responses.
FIGURE 10.3 Helpful template to use to closely
examine variables manipulated to control behavior.
Closer
Look at Variables in Play
The presentation of here is called the Unconditioned Stimulus,
(US).
Notice
that you do not need to condition
(modify) a [ ] to [ ] to [ ].
This
is a response that happens naturally.
The presentation of here is called a Conditioned Stimulus,
(CS).
Notice
that the [ ] effect of [ ] requires conditioning
(modification).
Such
conditioned response (learned response) is elicited by repeatedly pairing the
[ ] with the [ ].
The here is called an Unconditioned
Reflex/Response, (UR).
Notice
that you do not need to condition
(modify) this response because it happens naturally.
The here is called a Conditioned
Reflex/Response, (CR).
Notice
that you do need to condition
(modify) this response because it does not happen naturally.
|
Modern Application of
Discrimination Training - Example One:
A human is placed in a building
repeatedly bombarded with demands supposedly designed to prepare for required
standards of academic performance which were structured into the environment.
The human is surrounded mostly by peers of the same race. The human is
also surrounded by insufficient funding/resources, eliciting an
unfavorable response, (“academic underperformance”).
If this procedure is repeated several times, (the presentation of
insufficient funding/resources paired with the race), after a while, the
race, [which initially had no
inherent relationship to underperformance & to which covert stimuli – such
as insufficient funding, racial segregation, & the like - were never
specifically identified], will elicit the response that humans of this
particular race are inherently more prone to “inferior learning”, (especially when those of a different race
are repeatedly paired with more favorable funding/resources & repeatedly
paired with more favorable academic performance).
Closer Look at Variables in Play
The presentation of insufficient
funding/resources here is called the Unconditioned Stimulus, (US).
Notice that you do not need to condition (modify) a
human
to “underperform” academically
to “underperform” academically
when presented with
insufficient funding/resources.
This is a response that happens naturally.
This is a response that happens naturally.
The presentation of race
here is called a Conditioned Stimulus, (CS).
Notice that the race’s effect
of “academic underperformance”
requires conditioning (modification).
requires conditioning (modification).
Such conditioned response
(learned response) is elicited
by repeatedly pairing the race with the insufficient funding/resources.
by repeatedly pairing the race with the insufficient funding/resources.
The “academic underperformance”
to the insufficient funding/resources here is called an
Unconditioned
Reflex/Response, (UR).
Notice that you do not need to condition (modify)
this response because it happens naturally.
this response because it happens naturally.
The “academic underperformance”
to the race here is called a Conditioned Reflex/Response, (CR).
Notice that you do need to condition (modify)
this response because it does not happen naturally.
this response because it does not happen naturally.
As a result, humans are considered to
have been conditioned, (modified), to respond to the race by way of a learned negative
association intentionally elicited, (or brought-out), by other humans. By
repeatedly pairing particular races with insufficient funding/resources while
repeatedly pairing another race with sufficient, (in many cases - excessive),
funding/resources you can condition humans to respond more selectively to race.
These procedures, as mentioned earlier, are scientifically recognized as experiments in stimulus discrimination
and are scientifically used to conduct discrimination
training.
However,
humans have been conned,
(swindled, cheated, defrauded),
(swindled, cheated, defrauded),
into
believing such baseless notion because
the
irrefutable truth here is that
there
is no existing credible scientific evidence
to
support the claim that
some
races are inherently better learners
than other races.
than other races.
Knowing This To Be The Fact
Why, then, are humans in
government, business, & education
denigrating & flushing
some races out of academia?
Why are the lavishly paid
“leaders” - from the American Psychological Association (A.P.A.),
Developmental Psychology,
Educational & School Psychology,
Educational & School Psychology,
Cognitive/Clinical &
Counseling Psychology,
Behavioral Psychology,
Behavioral Psychology,
Social Psychology, and
Industrial & Organizational Psychology –
Industrial & Organizational Psychology –
not publicly denouncing and
dissenting
against the harmful manner in which
against the harmful manner in which
these behavior modification
models are being implemented,
the manner in which our
schools are managed, &
the atrocious conditions
the atrocious conditions
some students, teachers, &
families are
repeatedly subjected to
repeatedly subjected to
within the educational system?
Why are they not joining
forces to
be truthful, “do no harm”,
promote human health,
protect the public &
protect the public &
the ultimate survival of the
human race?
Modern Application of Discrimination
Training - Example Two:
A human is placed in an environment
where violent acts occur. The human is presented with the race of an
alleged culprit to a local violent act, eliciting an unfavorable
response, (fear of becoming a victim to violent act). If this procedure is repeated
several times, (the presentation of the violent act paired with the
same race), after a while, the race, [which initially had no inherent relationship to violent acts & to
which covert stimuli – such as disparate media coverage of violence, disparate
implementation of stop-&-frisk, disparate mass incarceration, & the
like - were never specifically identified], will elicit the response that
humans of this particular race are inherently more prone to violence and thus
must be feared, (especially when those of a different race are repeatedly
paired with minimal to no violent acts).
Closer Look at Variables in Play
The presentation of violence
here is called the Unconditioned Stimulus, (US).
Notice that, for the most
part, you do not need to condition
(modify)
a human to fear violence,
a human to fear violence,
especially if they (or a love
one) can be potential victims to the violence.
This is a response/reflex
that happens naturally.
The presentation of race
here is called a Conditioned Stimulus, (CS).
Notice that the race’s effect
of fear requires conditioning (modification).
Such conditioned response
(learned response)
is elicited by repeatedly pairing the race with the violent acts.
is elicited by repeatedly pairing the race with the violent acts.
The fear to the
violence here is called an Unconditioned Reflex/Response, (UR).
Notice that you do not need to condition (modify)
this response because it happens naturally.
this response because it happens naturally.
The fear to the
race here is called a Conditioned Reflex/Response, (CR).
Notice that you do need to condition (modify)
this response because it does not happen naturally.
this response because it does not happen naturally.
As a result, humans are considered to
have been conditioned, (modified), to respond to the race by way of a learned negative
association intentionally elicited, (or brought-out), by other humans. By
repeatedly pairing particular races with violent acts while repeatedly pairing
another race with minimal to no violent acts you can condition humans to
respond more selectively to race. These procedures are scientifically
recognized as experiments in stimulus
discrimination and are scientifically used to conduct discrimination training.
However,
humans have been conned,
(swindled, cheated, defrauded),
(swindled, cheated, defrauded),
into
believing such baseless notion because
the
irrefutable truth here is that
there
is no existing credible scientific evidence
to
support the claim that
some
races are inherently more prone to violence
than other races.
than other races.
Knowing This To Be The Fact
Why, then, are humans in
media, law-enforcement,
& the justice system
& the justice system
demonizing & flushing some
races
out of society and into cages?
out of society and into cages?
Why are the lavishly paid
“leaders” - from the American Psychological Association (A.P.A.),
Developmental Psychology,
Educational & School Psychology,
Educational & School Psychology,
Cognitive/Clinical &
Counseling Psychology,
Behavioral Psychology,
Behavioral Psychology,
Social Psychology, and
Industrial & Organizational Psychology –
Industrial & Organizational Psychology –
not publicly denouncing and
dissenting against the harmful manner in which these behavior modification
models are being implemented,
the manner in which our media,
law-enforcement agencies, & justice departments are managed,
and the horrific conditions
some humans are repeatedly subjected to within these systems?
Why are they not joining
forces to
be truthful, “do no harm”,
promote human health,
& protect the public &
& protect the public &
the ultimate survival of the
human race?
FIGURE 10.4 Behavioral Control Experiments in Stimulus
Discrimination. From left to right:
A visual example of the controlled
environment of one of Russian Physiologist & Behaviorist Ivan Pavlov’s
Experiment in Stimulus Discrimination used to conduct discrimination training –
Classical/Respondent Conditioning, (Credit for image – The American Genius).
A visual example of one of the controlled
environments used by American Behavioral Psychologist B.F. Skinner for Experiment
in Stimulus Discrimination used to conduct discrimination training – Operant
Conditioning – which came to be known
as, “the Skinner-Box”, (Credit for image – Wikipedia).
Two visual examples of controlled
environments used in modern day implementation of Behavior Control Experiments
in Stimulus Discrimination used to conduct discrimination training – Classical/Respondent & Operant
Conditioning; allegedly sketched by a former wrongfully imprisoned &
tortured human survivor, allegedly used by the Central
Intelligence Agents (C.I.A.), & its use, allegedly facilitated by the American
Psychological Association (A.P.A.), lawyers, and the justice department,
according to The New York Times' report, (Credit for images - American Civil Liberties
Union; via The New York Times.
Then
and Now
To learn more about modern audacious and
toxic implementations of Experiments in
Stimulus Discrimination used to conduct Discrimination Training, (Respondent/Classical
& Operant Conditioning), and their long-term detrimental impact to the
human mind, human behavior, families, the public, and the threat it poses to
the survival of the human race, & to learn more about the gentleman’s horrific
experiences who allegedly sketched the last two images shown above in Figure
10.4 - click some of the links below.
How U.S. Torture Left a Legacy of
Damaged Minds,
(Matt Apuzzo, Sheri Fink, and James Risen, The New
York Times, October 08, 2016).
American Psychological Association
Bolsters C.I.A. Torture Program, Report Says,
(James Risen, The New York Times, April 30, 2015).
Court Orders
State to Make
Sweeping Reforms in Schools,
(Daniela Altimari, Hartford Courant, September 7, 2016).
Trailer & Interview with Producer of “Rikers” Marc
Levin by Democracy Now!
Voices from NYC’s Most Notorious
Jail: Former Prisoners Speak Out About Abuse at Rikers Island,
(Democracy Now!, November 2, 2016).
RIKERS – A Documentary Film,
(Bill Moyers, Marc Levin, Mark Benjamin, & Rolake
Bamgbose, Fall of 2016).
The Innocence Project
“The Innocence Project exonerates the
wrongfully convicted through DNA testing
and reforms the criminal justice system
to prevent future injustices.”-
(“Number of DNA Exonerations: 347” & “Number of
Alternative Perpetrators Identified: 149”, December 2016).
FIGURE 10.5 Experiments in Behavioral Control,
Population Control, Stimulus Discrimination, & Discrimination Training. From
left to right: Charles Darwin (1809 - 1882), Wilhelm Wundt (1832 - 1920), William
James (1842 - 1910), Ivan Pavlov (1849 - 1936), Edward Bradford Titchener (1867
- 1927), E.L. Thorndike (1874 - 1949), John B. Watson (1878 - 1958), Max
Wertheimer (1880 - 1943), Kurt Koffka (1886 - 1941), & Wolfgang Kohler
(1887 - 1967), B.F. Skinner (1904 - 1990). Credit for images – Wikipedia. Credit
for arrangement – Author.
Echo
to Save a Human Race?
Affluent, prestigious, English
Naturalist, and Graduate of the England’s Christ Cambridge University, (Sister
College to Oxford, Yale, & Harvard), and who became famous for his Theory
of Biological Evolution by Natural Selection, Charles Darwin (1809 - 1882), has
long held the “Royal Flush” that incited
the force to control behavior by the masses, supposedly because, “the survival of the human species depended
on it”. Coming from a wealthy background Darwin reportedly heeded to economists’
urgent calls for the necessity to attain control over population-growth which
was, allegedly, exceeding food supply at the time.
Before his theory of Natural Selection came into
fruition, Darwin reportedly engaged in experiments breeding animals and soon
learned that he can, “take advantage of
natural variation in traits within a species” by simply selecting, “individuals that have desirable traits to
be the parents of each new generation.” He allegedly coined this process, Artificial Selection.
Eventually, Darwin arrived at the Theory
of Biological Evolution by Natural Selection which contains three important
claims; (1) “… life is old and had
existed for hundreds of millions years”, (2) “… life started out with just one or a few simple organisms which then
evolved into millions of species that exist today”, & (3) “… that this whole process of creating new
species was driven by a force of nature called Natural Selection”. By Natural
Selection he reportedly meant that nature has a tendency of passing down, (from
one generation to the next), unique traits that offer a survival advantage over
others traits. He argued that such unique traits are essential for adaptation
and survival especially in an ever-changing environment, [“survival of the fittest”; the ones that “fit-best” in the environment].
Despite the immense controversy against
his theory and the undeniable substantial flaws embedded in each of the three
important pillars that hold up his theory, (well recognized throughout the
scientific community), Darwinism remains embedded as a mandate in school
curriculums to be presented to learners as sacrosanct; repeatedly paired with a
strict prohibition from entertaining any discourse about similar “loosely-based” theories concerning the
origin of life, (Darwinism vs. Creationism).
This competitive notion for survival
where only the strongest will prevail and this urgency for behavior control via
Experiments in Stimulus Discrimination
& Discrimination Training; (Classical/Respondent & Operant Conditioning),
has had an profound influence in the thinking and behavior, (or the Psychology),
of not just the science historical pioneers mentioned above but also many other
science historical pioneers listed below and many scientific figures that
surround you today. Therefore, mind what you learn.
Wilhelm
Wundt (1832 - 1920): German Physicist
& Psychologist, reportedly created a new domain in Science; The Science of
Psychology in 1874. He believed that the groundwork of Psychology stems from
the Biological Sciences. He focused on studying Emotions, Attention,
Perception, Associations, Sensation, & Reaction Time to Various Stimuli.
Reportedly the founder of Structural
Psychology, (Structuralism), which is the study of how the basic parts of what
a human becomes awareness of actually creates the organization or “structure” of the mind. Believed that such
close examination of the details of the mind can be attained through a
procedure called Systematic Introspection where subjects were asked to report, in
meticulous detail, their own thinking while having reactions to a number of
sensory stimuli.
William
James (1842 - 1910): English American Psychologist
believed that if many physical traits are adaptive for survival, as suggested
by Darwin, then perhaps many psychological and behavioral traits are as well
and thus founded Functional Psychology,
(Functionalism), which is the study of how psychological processes have
adaptive “functions” that allow the
human species to survive. Believed that the mind is an important part of the
human function which evolved for the human to make moral and rational choices
out of many ideas and that, “the ability to make moral choices is one of the
most highly evolved human adaptations”.
Ivan
Pavlov (1849 - 1936): Russian Physiologist
& Behaviorist, focused on how environmental stimuli can be structured to
produce particular responses in others. Focused on modifying, (or conditioning),
behavior by eliciting learned associations between unrelated stimuli after
repeatedly pairing and presenting the stimuli. Such research are referred to as
Experiment in Stimulus Discrimination and used to conduct discrimination
training - Classical/Respondent Conditioning.
Edward
Bradford Titchener (1867 - 1927):
English Psychologist reportedly founded the Psychology Laboratory in Cornell University
in the United States.
An avid student of German Physicist & Psychologist Wilhelm Wundt, Titchener
help spread the insights of Structural
Psychology, (Structuralism), - the study of the mind by breaking it down to
its smallest components through a practice known as Systematic Introspection.
E.L.
Thorndike (1874 - 1949): American
Behavioral Psychologist, (similar to Pavlov), studied how environmental stimuli
can be structured to produce particular responses in others but with a greater
emphasis on rewards and punishments and on using covert stimuli. Such research
came to be known as Operant Conditioning Experiment in Stimulus Discrimination
used to conduct discrimination training. He believed that you can increase the
frequency of a behavior by repeatedly pairing the behavior with a reward until
a learned association is elicited and conversely inhibit the frequency of
behavior by repeatedly pairing the behavior with a punishment until a learned
association is elicited.
John
B. Watson (1878 - 1958): American Behavioral Psychologist, strongly
influenced by Classical/Respondent & Operant Conditioning Experiments in
Stimulus Discrimination. He reportedly boasted about his ability to control human
behavior in any form desired by merely controlling environmental stimuli, (as
noted from his famous quote cited above). Focused on how environmental stimuli
can produce particular responses in others.
Max
Wertheimer (1880 - 1943): Kurt
Koffka (1886 - 1941): & Wolfgang Kohler (1887 - 1967): German Gestalt
Psychologists that also worked on Classical/Respondent & Operant
Conditioning Experiment in Stimulus, (color), Discrimination, with a greater
emphasis on human internal forces. They argued that Behavioral Psychologist
should not minimize the importance of internal forces because, at the end, it
is the mind that actually puts together all of the pieces of information
presented to the sense organs and it is the mind that creates “a perception of
a whole, (or Gestalt)”. They were credited with developing Gestalt Psychology
which considers perceptions as greater than its parts. They used the analogy of
a motion picture to show how the whole picture is different from the small parts
that make the whole picture, (“A motion picture is made up of many still
photos, however, when we put the many still photos together in rapid succession
- we see not a series of still photos but instead what we see is MOTION.”).
B.F.
Skinner (1904 - 1990): American
Behavioral Psychologist, (similar to Pavlov), studied how environmental stimuli
can be structured to produce particular responses in others but with a greater
emphasis on rewards and punishments and on using covert stimuli. Such research
came to be known as Operant Conditioning Experiment in Stimulus Discrimination
used to conduct discrimination training. He believed that you can increase the
frequency of a behavior by repeatedly pairing the behavior with a reward until
a learned association is elicited and conversely inhibit the frequency of
behavior by repeatedly pairing the behavior with a punishment until a learned
association is elicited.
Repeated Absence &
Favorable Pairing:
As mentioned in the opening, “helpful”
applications of behavior control models was deliberately not the focus of this
report. However, it is prudent to briefly mention several applications that, at
least theoretically, may help ameliorate some of the damage created by their
toxic and oppressive implementations.
One in particular is reportedly instrumental
in unraveling some toxic and oppressive forms of conditioning and raises some
hope for the human race, especially if there is a collective effort to
implement it in this alternative fashion. Even though one can make a particular
race a condition stimulus to poor academic performance and criminal behavior the
repeated absence of such structured
pairings may effectively weaken and
eventually result in the disappearance of such toxic and oppressive discriminatory
conditioned responses.
This is scientifically referred to as extinction,
(“the elimination of a conditioned
response”). However, a chance still remains of experiencing something
referred to as “spontaneous recovery”.
This is like a “flash-back” of the
conditioned response, (as seen in cases of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, PTSD).
At least theoretically, if humans continue to avoid pairing the stimuli, the
recovery or flash-back itself will cease to exist.
Another application that may help
ameliorate some of the damage created is by alternatively structuring fair and/or
favorable pairings of stimuli in order to elicit neutral or favorable
associations, (for example: journalist and news networks can more equally report
criminal behavior; movies and shows can be more diverse in the casting of
favorable, important, and successful roles; etc.).
The Science of Psychology & Behavior
is a fascinating field which learns you of ways to facilitate human health,
promote good for the public, & so much about the Self. You are so well worth the time and effort to study. The
survival of the entire human race depends on you doing so.
The
Most Favorable Human Trait
to the Survival of the Human Race
to the Survival of the Human Race
In the middle of a human’s journey to
maintain harmony with the goodness of nature, a particular force wedges through
to pull in the opposite direction, with a capacity to blur and sever this most
vital connection to human existence.
If allowed, disruptive waves gradually
grow and violently crash all over the shores of humanity in the form of
scattered animus toward life, scattered animus toward one another, and
behaviors that are congruent with such traumas and which thrive especially on
an asphyxiated desperation for relief. If allowed, destructive forces dismantle
reason, erode morale, and are displayed all around in the form of murky
mucousal floods that mark the desperate acts of misguided searches for release
which will, with time, increasingly defy rational description.
It is ironic that the humans that most
require services & those in the forefront doing most of the work to provide
services, become the very foundation to the lavishly salaried positions
occupied by top executives, lawyers,
investigators, & clinicians … , – yet they, in fact, receive the least
amount, (if any), of the
public-tax-generated-funds allocated. As a result, humans in the forefront are
immensely overworked and shamefully underpaid but the very first to blame;
quality of Human Service dangerously continues to decline, and at-risk humans
endure grave and fatal consequences. A harsh reality that is completely alien
from what humans write in contracts & zealously promote with ad campaigns
& public rhetoric.
At risk children continue to violently
depart this life despite receiving something called, “Preventive Services”. Some of the most vulnerable children continue
to be cheated & deprived of funds & critical clinically-prescribed
services in an area called, “Special
Education”. Professionals called “Mandated
Reporters” get in trouble for reporting such abuses. Humans find no justice in a place called the
“Justice System”. Families are left
homeless & hungry in a planet we call, “home”.
Nature keeps bringing your attention to
such loud force of deplorable conditions,
capable of getting under your skin and capable of rattling your inner core, to
ensure that this critical message is delivered to the right place and that its
urgency is intimately recognized by the occupant.
If nature had passed anything down,
from one generation to the next, in order to ensure the survival of the human
race, it is – the remarkable trait which enables a human to SEPARATE the power & influence of their own inner-goodness,
from that which is toxic to our very existence.
When you operate from the goodness of your natural inner power
& influence, (which experts refer to as – your higher-Self), misguided
ill-intentioned humans are rendered weak and incapable to conning, conditioning,
or luring you into trading this – for the materialistic toxic power &
influence specifically structured to oppress & inflict harm onto your own
fellow humans, which is certain to escalate and annihilate the human race.
These ferocious storms weathering away the
delicate fibers that connect humans with the goodness of nature are the loud electrical
signals firing urgent calls for you to defibrillate the trait we have all been
waiting for. For you to reach deep into your core, study the self some more, because
it is from here, and only here, from which the prime separation must befall.
It
is from here, and only here, where you are at most in synchrony with the
goodness of nature. It is from here, and only here, where your sensibilities
are heightened, where you are the most receptive and most aware of energies
around you, (information/stimuli). It is from here, and only here, where you
can be the most empathic, be “in the
moment” with others & the self, and treat life with utmost dignity and
respect. It is from here, and only here, where there is little doubt about the
right thing to do. It is from here, and only here, where authentic compassion for
human health and the public good can most effectively be delivered.
This innate ability that allows you to
closely study, distinguish, and function from your highest inner goodness; your
higher-Self, is THE unique
favorable trait, which humans searched for so long, that offers the human race
the ultimate survival advantage in an ever-changing world.
This messy massive storm is nature’s urgent call to each human working in all levels
& branches of government, in all business sectors, in all areas of public life,
in the American Psychological Association (A.P.A.), in Developmental
Psychology, in Educational & School Psychology, in Cognitive/Clinical &
Counseling Psychology, in Behavioral Psychology, in Social Psychology, in Industrial
& Organizational Psychology, in all other Human Health Care Fields, in all
other Sciences, in all parts of our planet & beyond –
You are each infinitely
worth more to life than anything
which needs count or store.
which needs count or store.
You are each inevitable
keys to this
“larger than all” process to be.
“larger than all” process to be.
Activate the trait
before it is too late.
Distinguish inner power
& influence; all foul Relinquish.
The survival of our
planet & entire human race
depends on a grace of a far deeper place,
depends on a grace of a far deeper place,
found nowhere else other
than the natural goodness
of your higher-Self.
of your higher-Self.
Thank you, Much Peace
& Love to All.
May Your Lives Flourish
With Abundant Reflection & Goodness.
- Special Thanks –
Much respect and immense gratitude to
the higher-Self of each of the dissident Psychologists, other Health Care
Professionals, and Human Rights Activists, for your relentless calls for reform
and accountability; to the higher-Self of Authors & Investigators Matt
Apuzzo, Sheri Fink, and James Risen of The New York Times for your courageous
reporting; to the higher-Self of Superior Court Judge Honorable Thomas
Moukawsher for dissenting against the disparate allocation of Public School
funds by the State Department of Education & Author/Investigator Daniela
Altimari of the Hartford Courant.
Awareness Is Power So
Please Continue To Follow
Luis Ángel Pérez
Degrees in Psychology & Education
Mental Health & Social Service
Counselor
Public School Science & Mathematics
Middle School- Seventh & Eighth
Grades
Elementary School- First & Fourth
Grades
Educator & Advocate
“We cannot choose our external circumstances,
but we can always choose how we respond to them.”
- Epictetus
