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Even that is attributing too much. When you give animals food, they tend to do things to get that food, humans being no exception. If you plant a soft-serve m

Even that is attributing too much. When you give animals food, they tend to do things to get that food, humans being no exception. If you plant a soft-serve machine in the middle of a city square, you can bet people will press the lever to receive free ice cream. Hell, just give out coupons for free anything and people will show up. In either case, if you take away the free thing, people will keep returning in hopes the thing will come back, not just because they've been conditioned but because they want more of the free thing. Neat little art project, but it's not that insightful when you think outside the 34th percentile.

moolcool 3y ago
> not just because they've been conditioned but because they want more of the free thing That is what literally what "conditioned" means. You're belabouring a point that OP is already making, and then following that up by sneering at the "34th percentile". Maybe the real art is always in the comments section.
- ravenstine 3y ago
  > You're belabouring a point that OP is already making I don't believe I am. I'll try to clarify. > That is what literally what "conditioned" means. Yes and no. I'm suggesting that attributing the effect merely to "conditioning" is reductionist. There's some level of conditioning to all biological behavior, and repeating a behavior in response to a reward is not entirely irrational. In principle, it's very rational for rats to keep returning to perform an action they know through experience provided food at some point. The rats in this art project aren't necessarily as thoughtless as conveniently suggested by the conditioning explanation. There's plenty of evidence that rats have the ability to remember details about the past and plan for the future. > and then following that up by sneering at the "34th percentile". I didn't mean it that way, and in retrospect I admit shouldn't have said that. It was rude but that's truly not the attitude I had in mind. Apologies to whom I was replying to.
ta988 3y ago
When you give human likes...

moolcool 3y ago

> not just because they've been conditioned but because they want more of the free thing That is what literally what "conditioned" means. You're belabouring a point that OP is already making, and then following that up by sneering at the "34th percentile". Maybe the real art is always in the comments section.

ravenstine 3y ago
> You're belabouring a point that OP is already making I don't believe I am. I'll try to clarify. > That is what literally what "conditioned" means. Yes and no. I'm suggesting that attributing the effect merely to "conditioning" is reductionist. There's some level of conditioning to all biological behavior, and repeating a behavior in response to a reward is not entirely irrational. In principle, it's very rational for rats to keep returning to perform an action they know through experience provided food at some point. The rats in this art project aren't necessarily as thoughtless as conveniently suggested by the conditioning explanation. There's plenty of evidence that rats have the ability to remember details about the past and plan for the future. > and then following that up by sneering at the "34th percentile". I didn't mean it that way, and in retrospect I admit shouldn't have said that. It was rude but that's truly not the attitude I had in mind. Apologies to whom I was replying to.

ta988 3y ago

When you give human likes...