I had not heard that one, Jim. the version I heard was that when the professor (Skinner) moved one direction across the front of the room, the student would attend to him interestedly, and that when he moved the other direction they would look away, read newspapers, etc. by the end of the class, he was lecturing from one corner of the room. I have no idea whether it is actually true, or just a case of "I bet you could..." which gradually morphed into and "actually happened," as seems to be the case so often with urban legends.
Chris ....... Christopher D Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 [email protected] http://www.yorku.ca/christo > On Jan 8, 2015, at 3:09 PM, Jim Matiya <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > That goes back many years ago...I seem to recall when the prof would bring > his hand closer to the front chest area, the students would write more and > more notes (do student still take notes today?). Then they began to > "condition" more whenever he began to move his hand toward the opening of his > shirt (read writing copious more notes...or at least appear to take more > notes). The students got the prof to put his hand into his shirt (read, write > more notes) Then after a few more classes, the students had conditioned him > to walk in front of class and begin lecturing with his hand inside his shirt > with a more or less Napoleon "look." > > Is it true or not? Chris Green would know more than I about history > > > Jim > > Jim Matiya > > Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a > listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of > which have the potential to turn a life around...Leo Buscaglia > > > > Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2015 11:22:06 -0500 > > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [tips] Behaviorist Prof Urban Legend > > > > > > I do a variation of that story in my class on shaping. I have the > > class discover a reinforcer that works with me, which turns out > > to be their attentive looking and smiling. Then I take them > > through the steps of shaping me to move to the side of the room > > and turn off a light with my nose. > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > Kenneth M. Steele, Ph.D. [email protected] > > Professor > > Department of Psychology http://www.psych.appstate.edu > > Appalachian State University > > Boone, NC 28608 > > USA > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > On 1/8/2015 10:58 AM, Rick Froman wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > I am preparing to teach Theories of Learning this semester and I > > > remembered the story told during my graduate training about a > > > professor being shaped by students to lecture toward the corner > > > of the room. They evidently paid close attention or performed > > > some other reinforcing stimulus whenever the professor moved in a > > > certain direction until he was actually lecturing to the wall. > > > > > > It sounds like a clear urban legend (of the hoist of his own > > > petard type) and Snopes > > > <http://snopes.com/college/pranks/trained.asp> classifies it as a > > > legend (of unverifiable nature) and concludes that, “Many people > > > claim to have been in a class where such training took place (or > > > to know someone who was); undoubtedly a few attempts have > > > actually been made.” > > > > > > However, it appears from this site > > > <http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=00C0Tw> > > > that the anecdote actually may be sourced to none other than B. > > > F. Skinner himself. It is funny that the version I remember was > > > the one described by Carl Rogers on that site: a behaviorist > > > professor being manipulated by his students. In fact, according > > > to Skinner, the classroom version of the story involved > > > behaviorist students training a humanist professor and he also > > > recounted a time he did the same to a speaker at a professional > > > conference. > > > > > > This probably isn’t news to many of you but I thought it was > > > quite an unexpected result to see that the story was not a pure > > > legend or parable but was described as fact in two versions by B. > > > F. Skinner himself. > > > > > > Rick > > > > > > Dr. Rick Froman > > > > > > Professor of Psychology > > > > > > Box 3519 > > > > > > John Brown University > > > > > > 2000 W. University Siloam Springs, AR 72761 > > > > > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > > > > > (479) 524-7295 > > > > > > http://bit.ly/DrFroman > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe click here: > > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13283.28aec02f231f4c4baa9a4a58ae139710&n=T&l=tips&o=41440 > > or send a blank email to > > leave-41440-13283.28aec02f231f4c4baa9a4a58ae139...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62bd92&n=T&l=tips&o=41450 > > (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) > > or send a blank email to > leave-41450-430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62b...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > > > > > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. 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