Re: R&M's "memory illusions" and functional verbal response classes

From: Glen M. Sizemore (gmsizemore2_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 08/03/04 

Date: 3 Aug 2004 04:29:09 -0700

SN: Consciousness is really a word with too many meanings. But when we
talk about abstraction, then things can be a bit more precise. Several
experiments have demonstrated such abilities in non human animals. In
one of them, a monkey learned to derive, by itself, the concept of
"equal" and "different".

GS: Really, Sergio? All by itself? So you're saying that there was no
role played by the discrimination contingencies arranged by the
experimenter? Since you, and those of your ilk, know nothing about
behavior, you muddle virtually every topic you touch. And, as I told
you before, non-human animals can respond in any of the general ways
said to "show consciousness" but, of course, for some of them, they
must be properly trained.

SN: I interpret these studies as suggesting that the kind of
difference in abstraction abilities between humans and non human
animals is more of a quantitative nature, rather than qualitative.

GS: Yeah, operant stimulus control and all the associated phenomena
are relevant to many animals across phyla.

"Sergio Navega" <snavega@intelliwise.com> wrote in message news:<410eb32f$1_5@news.athenanews.com>...

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