A few years ago a German academic colleague of mine showed me a figure in a book of an old British toilet (lavatory) and how its operation was similar to the concept of instinct theory. I am not sure how many tipsters would be familiar with,but I certainly am since I grew up in a British Commonwealth colonial housing development.Anyway .whoever the author was,he/she saw similarites between instinct and the toilet: One had to pull a chain to release the water from the small tank to get to the bowl and once the water was released it had to run its course.This would seem to be similar to the modus operandi of the instinct mechanism where once the instinct is set in motion it must run its course through fixed action patterns.And just as the overhead toilet tank must await for tfe water to refill,it appears that executing another episode of instinctive behavior must also await a time period to return to instinctive mode. Chris, in a past post,alluded to ancient technology,but this idea of instinct theory based on British toilet hydraulics seems very clever and I would concur with Sherlock "Elementary". Is there a reference available? I have thrown away my McDougall instinct text. It could have been a reference im German.
Michael "omnicentric" Sylvester,PhD Daytona Beach,Florida --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=14133 or send a blank email to leave-14133-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
