Wednesday, August 23, 2006

More than one way to Skinner Cat.

Since there seemed to be a general amount of response to the cat related post below... here's a follow-up:

Here's how I see it.
Cat does undesirable action while you're watching - cat gets punished in some fashion.
Cat does undesirable action while you're not watching - nothing happens.

Since there is only enough space in a small cat-head for a peanut sized cat-brain, I can't think of a way to make them realize that the activity itself is bad, not just the doing it WHEN YOU'RE WATCHING.



Unless you use robots.

Oh yeah, and +100 dylan points if you got the Skinner reference.
Um, or Trent points, if you like - but dylan points are cooler (and his blog is more interesting)...

6 comments:

ButterPeanut said...

well, binky pretty much agrees with you.

i'd say that reference is from the simpsons? I'll take the dylan pioints please....he wears girl pants.

Leah said...

Hey Trent,
You know that glass vase on top of the fridge with those long-stem roses in it you gave me for our anniversary? Well, this morning when I was in the shower and therefore not watching...
lw

Zellyn said...

How about the "cat thinks you're not watching" option?

/dr. said...

i approve trent as an authorized dylan points dealer. *some restrictions apply

/dr.

ps. may i suggest a brain transplant?







*as an authorized dealer, dylan points can not be given to one's self. :)

Jamie said...

We love your blogs equally. No favourtism. :P

Oh, thats sad about the vase, though humerous in the way you told Trent.

Trent said...

Not the Simpsons... just famed behavioral pshych. dude, Burrhus Frederic Skinner.

I learned about him in my 1st year intro-Psych class, from my Grateful Dead t-shirt wearing prof...

We also watched cool videos of rats playing basketball.