Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!uwvax!oddjob!mimsy!eneevax!umd5!uvaarpa!mcnc!ece-csc!ncrcae!gollum!rolandi
From: rolandi@gollum.Columbia.NCR.COM (rolandi)
Newsgroups: sci.psychology
Subject: Re: reinforcement
Message-ID: <86@gollum.Columbia.NCR.COM>
Date: 5 Apr 88 20:41:08 GMT
Reply-To: rolandi@gollum.UUCP (Walter Rolandi)
Organization: NCR Advanced Systems, Columbia, SC
Lines: 40


In response to Arti Nigam:
>Such a construct (reinforcer as defined in this way) is useful in trying
>to explain behavior that currently occurs or that has occurred in the past.
>It is not very useful, I tentatively suggest, in determining what will
>cause a certain class of behaviors to start occurring.  

You are right.  The process of shaping however, addresses this issue.

>.... But it is mighty interesting, and needs a theory to explain,
>that virtually every child on earth has an amazing propensity to get
>reinforced for a certain class of behaviors; very regularly, EVERY child
>gets reinforced for this class of behaviors (language production); there

Why is this so amazing?   The same can be said of the class of behaviors 
associated with locomotion: crawling, walking, and running.

>must be a large body of potential reinforcers relevant to this class, as
>well; it is unlike many behaviors that some people learn, some don't;
>so, language is a pretty special thing, and the environment seems well
>set up to be exceptionally conducive to (provide much and varied
>reinforcements for) language production.  

I cannot tell which side of the debate you are on.  Is language acquired
through reinforcement or not?

>I think that fact is very
>interesting, and if you want to know WHY rather than just the elements of
>HOW, you are not asking a fruitless question.  You are asking something
>that strict behaviorists do not claim to be answering (I think).  Certainly
>behaviorists have not succeeded in answering that, and I think they have
>not attempted it.  That is certainly just fine; no one has to know 
>everything; but it is a legitimate scientific question to deal with.

Was there some point to this last part?  What are you saying?

Walter Rolandi
rolandi@gollum.UUCP 
NCR Advanced Systems, Columbia, SC
University of South Carolina Departments of Psychology and Linguistics