Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-04 Thread sblack 
On 1 Jul 2012 at 14:36, Christopher Green wrote:

Looks like it might be even older than that, Paul. 
"Rat race" makes appearances in English as far back as the mid-1860s, 
but it has its first spike on popularity around 1902.
---

The great OED (Oxford English Dictionary) cites 1783 for its earliest 
known use of the term, where it is used in the rare sense of an 
actual race between rats. The entry is:

"1783   W. Jackson 30 Lett. Var. Subj. II. xxi. 40   The first time I 
was at a [horse-racing] course, it appeared but as a rat-race."

They cite another early use of the term as air force slang for a 
fight or race between planes:

"1931   N.Y. Times 1 Sept. 8   They did the snake dance, or rat race 
as it is sometimes called, and they ended with their four-direction 
bombing attack."

And the earliest they cite for its current use (which they define in 
part as "urban working life regarded as an unremitting struggle for 
wealth, status, etc") is a 1937 entry, followed by a clearer 1938 
one.

"1937   Nebraska State Jrnl. 22 Dec. 9/5 (heading)Cage game [sc. 
basketball] called `rat race´ under new rules.

1938   Monessen (Pa.) Daily Independent 20 June 4/2   They are trying 
to make possible conditions under which politics may exist as a 
career instead of a rat-race."

..and the topic reminds me of the satisfying joke:

Question; Why are psychologists switching to running lawyers rather 
than rats?

Answer: Because there are some things that even rats won't do. 

Stephen


Stephen L. Black, Ph.D.  
Professor of Psychology, Emeritus   
Bishop's University
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada   
e-mail:  sblack at ubishops.ca
-


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Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-02 Thread devoldercaroll 
Like I said, futile.  :)

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 2, 2012, at 9:19 AM, Michael Palij  wrote:

> a way of life in which people are caught up in a fiercely competitive
> struggle for wealth or power.
> 
> On Mon, 02 Jul 2012 06:46:14 -0700, Carol Devolder wrote:
>> I always thought the term applied to endless running on an exercise wheel and
>> the futility of running but never going anywhere.
> 
> Although I've seen some instances of "rat race" used in this way, it doesn't
> really make any sense from a racing perspective.  The New Oxford English
> Dictionary provides the definition:
> 
> |rat race ▶n.  (informal)
> |a way of life in which people are caught up in a fiercely competitive
> struggle for wealth or power.
> |■ an exhausting, usually competitive routine.
> 
> -Mike Palij
> New York University
> m...@nyu.edu
> 
> On Jul 2, 2012, at 8:27 AM, Michael Palij  wrote:
> 
>> Just a little more on the issue of the origin of the contemporary term
>> "rat race".  Below is an example relevant to teaching.
>> 
>> Example #4:
>> In this example "rat race" is used in its contemporary sense and is relevant
>> to college teaching.
>> 
>> The Recruitment of Qualified Teachers: Higher Education's Greatest Postwar
>> Need
>> Willard Wilson
>> Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors (1915-1955) ,
>> Vol. 31, No. 3 (Autumn, 1945), pp. 337-347
>> Published by: American Association of University Professors
>> Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40220613
>> 
>> On page 347 we have the following paragraph:
>> 
>> |   Finally, however, for recruits we will have to depend upon the missionary
>> |appeal which is at the root of all really sincere conversions to the 
>> teaching
>> |profession. Admitted that we are over-worked and underpaid, that there are
>> |stinkers in our midst, that we are underestimated by other professions, that
>> |we are not constantly in a twitter of excitement about the dawning geniuses
>> |in our classes, and that at times we wonder how we ever got into this
>> |academic **rat-race, we nevertheless should continue to convey
>> |to these young people the fact that teaching is a serious, dignified
>> business.
>> |We have to let them know that a real teacher chooses that profession not as
>> |a stepping stone to another, but as the fulfillment of a deep inner
>> conviction
>> |that he has something to give through teaching that will somehow save, or at
>> |least improve, the immortal thinking of students. And we have to let these
>> |young people see in us examples of people who have dedicated themselves
>> |with vigorous intent and honest objectivity to "develop and cultivate
>> |intellectually |and morally" the minds of our students.
>> 
>> Following up on Chris Green N-gram search, if one searches books.google.com
>> for "rat race" and restrict it to the 19th century, one finds three versions
>> of
>> the phrase:
>> 
>> (1)  A a reference to rats as a race of beings.  A 1858 use of the term in
>> this sense is provided in the University Chronicle; see:
>> http://books.google.com/books?id=IUHiMAAJ&pg=PT90&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CFsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22rat%20race%22&f=false
>> 
>> (2)  As a literal race between two or more rats. Jim Clark cited a 1851
>> source:
>> http://books.google.com/books?id=vrUBQAAJ&pg=PA151&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CLMBEOgBMBU#v=onepage&q=%22rat%20race%22&f=false
>> NOTE: the original text is available as an ebook.
>> 
>> (3)  A usage comparable to today's use. First, from 1888:
>> http://books.google.com/books?id=uqzaMAAJ&q=%22rat+race%22&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CIkBEOgBMA4
>> Second, from the Spectator:
>> http://books.google.com/books?id=V_MhAQAAMAAJ&q=%22rat+race%22&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAA
>> 
> 
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Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-02 Thread Michael Palij 
a way of life in which people are caught up in a fiercely competitive
struggle for wealth or power.

On Mon, 02 Jul 2012 06:46:14 -0700, Carol Devolder wrote:
>I always thought the term applied to endless running on an exercise wheel and
>the futility of running but never going anywhere.

Although I've seen some instances of "rat race" used in this way, it doesn't
really make any sense from a racing perspective.  The New Oxford English
Dictionary provides the definition:

|rat race ▶n.  (informal)
|a way of life in which people are caught up in a fiercely competitive
struggle for wealth or power.
|■ an exhausting, usually competitive routine.

-Mike Palij
New York University
m...@nyu.edu

On Jul 2, 2012, at 8:27 AM, Michael Palij  wrote:

> Just a little more on the issue of the origin of the contemporary term
> "rat race".  Below is an example relevant to teaching.
>
> Example #4:
> In this example "rat race" is used in its contemporary sense and is relevant
> to college teaching.
>
> The Recruitment of Qualified Teachers: Higher Education's Greatest Postwar
> Need
> Willard Wilson
> Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors (1915-1955) ,
> Vol. 31, No. 3 (Autumn, 1945), pp. 337-347
> Published by: American Association of University Professors
> Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40220613
>
> On page 347 we have the following paragraph:
>
> |   Finally, however, for recruits we will have to depend upon the missionary
> |appeal which is at the root of all really sincere conversions to the teaching
> |profession. Admitted that we are over-worked and underpaid, that there are
> |stinkers in our midst, that we are underestimated by other professions, that
> |we are not constantly in a twitter of excitement about the dawning geniuses
> |in our classes, and that at times we wonder how we ever got into this
> |academic **rat-race, we nevertheless should continue to convey
> |to these young people the fact that teaching is a serious, dignified
> business.
> |We have to let them know that a real teacher chooses that profession not as
> |a stepping stone to another, but as the fulfillment of a deep inner
> conviction
> |that he has something to give through teaching that will somehow save, or at
> |least improve, the immortal thinking of students. And we have to let these
> |young people see in us examples of people who have dedicated themselves
> |with vigorous intent and honest objectivity to "develop and cultivate
> |intellectually |and morally" the minds of our students.
>
> Following up on Chris Green N-gram search, if one searches books.google.com
> for "rat race" and restrict it to the 19th century, one finds three versions
> of
> the phrase:
>
> (1)  A a reference to rats as a race of beings.  A 1858 use of the term in
> this sense is provided in the University Chronicle; see:
> http://books.google.com/books?id=IUHiMAAJ&pg=PT90&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CFsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22rat%20race%22&f=false
>
> (2)  As a literal race between two or more rats. Jim Clark cited a 1851
> source:
> http://books.google.com/books?id=vrUBQAAJ&pg=PA151&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CLMBEOgBMBU#v=onepage&q=%22rat%20race%22&f=false
> NOTE: the original text is available as an ebook.
>
> (3)  A usage comparable to today's use. First, from 1888:
> http://books.google.com/books?id=uqzaMAAJ&q=%22rat+race%22&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CIkBEOgBMA4
> Second, from the Spectator:
> http://books.google.com/books?id=V_MhAQAAMAAJ&q=%22rat+race%22&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAA
>

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[tips] Rat Race

2012-07-02 Thread Pollak, Edward (Retired) 
Anyone who doubts the ubiquity of Rattus norvegicus in psychological research 
needs to (re-)read Frank Beach's class paper, The Snark was a Boojum." See 
http://www.sfn.org/skins/main/pdf/HistoryofNeuroscience/FrankABeach.pdf


Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of Psychology
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
http://home.comcast.net/~epollak/
Husband, father, grandfather, bluegrass fiddler, banjoist & 
biopsychologist... in approximate order of importance



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Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-02 Thread devoldercaroll 
I always thought the term applied to endless running on an exercise wheel and 
the futility of running but never going anywhere. 
Carol


On Jul 2, 2012, at 8:27 AM, Michael Palij  wrote:

> Just a little more on the issue of the origin of the contemporary term
> "rat race".  Below is an example relevant to teaching.
> 
> Example #4:
> In this example "rat race" is used in its contemporary sense and is relevant
> to college teaching.
> 
> The Recruitment of Qualified Teachers: Higher Education's Greatest Postwar 
> Need
> Willard Wilson
> Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors (1915-1955) ,
> Vol. 31, No. 3 (Autumn, 1945), pp. 337-347
> Published by: American Association of University Professors
> Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40220613
> 
> On page 347 we have the following paragraph:
> 
> |   Finally, however, for recruits we will have to depend upon the missionary
> |appeal which is at the root of all really sincere conversions to the teaching
> |profession. Admitted that we are over-worked and underpaid, that there are
> |stinkers in our midst, that we are underestimated by other professions, that
> |we are not constantly in a twitter of excitement about the dawning geniuses
> |in our classes, and that at times we wonder how we ever got into this
> |academic **rat-race, we nevertheless should continue to convey
> |to these young people the fact that teaching is a serious, dignified 
> business.
> |We have to let them know that a real teacher chooses that profession not as
> |a stepping stone to another, but as the fulfillment of a deep inner 
> conviction
> |that he has something to give through teaching that will somehow save, or at
> |least improve, the immortal thinking of students. And we have to let these
> |young people see in us examples of people who have dedicated themselves
> |with vigorous intent and honest objectivity to "develop and cultivate
> |intellectually |and morally" the minds of our students.
> 
> Following up on Chris Green N-gram search, if one searches books.google.com
> for "rat race" and restrict it to the 19th century, one finds three versions 
> of
> the phrase:
> 
> (1)  A a reference to rats as a race of beings.  A 1858 use of the term in
> this sense is provided in the University Chronicle; see:
> http://books.google.com/books?id=IUHiMAAJ&pg=PT90&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CFsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22rat%20race%22&f=false
> 
> (2)  As a literal race between two or more rats. Jim Clark cited a 1851
> source:
> http://books.google.com/books?id=vrUBQAAJ&pg=PA151&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CLMBEOgBMBU#v=onepage&q=%22rat%20race%22&f=false
> NOTE: the original text is available as an ebook.
> 
> (3)  A usage comparable to today's use. First, from 1888:
> http://books.google.com/books?id=uqzaMAAJ&q=%22rat+race%22&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CIkBEOgBMA4
> Second, from the Spectator:
> http://books.google.com/books?id=V_MhAQAAMAAJ&q=%22rat+race%22&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAA
> 
> -Mike Palij
> New York University
> m...@nyu.edu
> 
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Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-02 Thread Michael Palij 
Just a little more on the issue of the origin of the contemporary term
"rat race".  Below is an example relevant to teaching.

Example #4:
In this example "rat race" is used in its contemporary sense and is relevant
to college teaching.

The Recruitment of Qualified Teachers: Higher Education's Greatest Postwar Need
Willard Wilson
Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors (1915-1955) ,
Vol. 31, No. 3 (Autumn, 1945), pp. 337-347
Published by: American Association of University Professors
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40220613

On page 347 we have the following paragraph:

|   Finally, however, for recruits we will have to depend upon the missionary
|appeal which is at the root of all really sincere conversions to the teaching
|profession. Admitted that we are over-worked and underpaid, that there are
|stinkers in our midst, that we are underestimated by other professions, that
|we are not constantly in a twitter of excitement about the dawning geniuses
|in our classes, and that at times we wonder how we ever got into this
|academic **rat-race, we nevertheless should continue to convey
|to these young people the fact that teaching is a serious, dignified business.
|We have to let them know that a real teacher chooses that profession not as
|a stepping stone to another, but as the fulfillment of a deep inner conviction
|that he has something to give through teaching that will somehow save, or at
|least improve, the immortal thinking of students. And we have to let these
|young people see in us examples of people who have dedicated themselves
|with vigorous intent and honest objectivity to "develop and cultivate
|intellectually |and morally" the minds of our students.

Following up on Chris Green N-gram search, if one searches books.google.com
for "rat race" and restrict it to the 19th century, one finds three versions of
the phrase:

(1)  A a reference to rats as a race of beings.  A 1858 use of the term in
this sense is provided in the University Chronicle; see:
http://books.google.com/books?id=IUHiMAAJ&pg=PT90&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CFsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22rat%20race%22&f=false

(2)  As a literal race between two or more rats. Jim Clark cited a 1851
source:
http://books.google.com/books?id=vrUBQAAJ&pg=PA151&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CLMBEOgBMBU#v=onepage&q=%22rat%20race%22&f=false
NOTE: the original text is available as an ebook.

(3)  A usage comparable to today's use. First, from 1888:
http://books.google.com/books?id=uqzaMAAJ&q=%22rat+race%22&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CIkBEOgBMA4
Second, from the Spectator:
http://books.google.com/books?id=V_MhAQAAMAAJ&q=%22rat+race%22&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAA

-Mike Palij
New York University
m...@nyu.edu

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Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-01 Thread Jim Clark 
Hi

Have to be a little careful ... apparently at least one of the early
allusions was to a literal rat-race.

"Milton was at the period alluded to up to every sport; for, in the
following March, he was steward of a rat race held at a public house in
Shepherds Market, where four of these 'varmin,' decorated with different
coloured ribands, were started for a sweepstakes round the club room
before a host of sportsmen."

So much for the "sensitivities" of literary types!  One also wonders if
there wasn't some conditioning (rewarding fast behavior) underlying the
sport.

Take care
Jim


James M. Clark
Professor of Psychology
204-786-9757
204-774-4134 Fax
j.cl...@uwinnipeg.ca

>>> Christopher Green  01-Jul-12 1:36 PM >>>
Looks like it might be even older than that, Paul. 
"Rat race" makes appearances in English as far back as the mid-1860s,
but it has its first spike on popularity around 1902.

http://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=rat+race&year_start=1850&year_end=1920&corpus=0&smoothing=3


Chris
---
Christopher D. Green
Department of Psychology
York University
Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
Canada

chri...@yorku.ca 
http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ 
==



On 2012-07-01, at 12:39 PM, Paul Brandon wrote:

>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> The term appears to be somewhat older.
> According to Wikipedia:
> 
> "The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still
a rat. * commonly attributed to Lily Tomlin in People magazine (26 Dec
1977)[1], but according to The Yale Book of Quotations (Shapiro &
Epstein, p. 767), Rosalie Maggio in The New Beacon Book of Quotations by
Women states that William Sloane Coffin said "Even if you win the rat
race, you're still a rat" as chaplain of Williams College or Yale
University in the 1950s or 1960s. [2]  "
> 
> On Jul 1, 2012, at 9:55 AM, Louis E. Schmier wrote:
> 
>> Michael, most people are wrong.  The term originated with a cartoon
strip called "Joe Rat."  If I remember correctly, it was the work of a
NC State student and appeared in the late '70s or early '80s in the
school paper.  Got to look it up.
>> 
>> 
>> On Jul 1, 2012, at 10:46 AM, Michael Britt wrote:
>> 
>>> Most people associate rats running in mazes with psychology, but
aside from Tolman I don't know any other psychologists who used rats in
their work.  Skinner is mostly known or using pigeons (though I heard he
might have used rats at one point).  Any others?
>>> 
>>> Michael 
> 
> Paul Brandon
> Emeritus Professor of Psychology
> Minnesota State University, Mankato
> pkbra...@hickorytech.net 
> 
> 
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> 
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Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-01 Thread Christopher Green 
Looks like it might be even older than that, Paul. 
"Rat race" makes appearances in English as far back as the mid-1860s, but it 
has its first spike on popularity around 1902.

http://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=rat+race&year_start=1850&year_end=1920&corpus=0&smoothing=3
 

Chris
---
Christopher D. Green
Department of Psychology
York University
Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
Canada

chri...@yorku.ca
http://www.yorku.ca/christo/
==



On 2012-07-01, at 12:39 PM, Paul Brandon wrote:

>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> The term appears to be somewhat older.
> According to Wikipedia:
> 
> "The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat. — 
> commonly attributed to Lily Tomlin in People magazine (26 Dec 1977)[1], but 
> according to The Yale Book of Quotations (Shapiro & Epstein, p. 767), Rosalie 
> Maggio in The New Beacon Book of Quotations by Women states that William 
> Sloane Coffin said "Even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat" as 
> chaplain of Williams College or Yale University in the 1950s or 1960s. [2]  "
> 
> On Jul 1, 2012, at 9:55 AM, Louis E. Schmier wrote:
> 
>> Michael, most people are wrong.  The term originated with a cartoon strip 
>> called "Joe Rat."  If I remember correctly, it was the work of a NC State 
>> student and appeared in the late '70s or early '80s in the school paper.  
>> Got to look it up.
>> 
>> 
>> On Jul 1, 2012, at 10:46 AM, Michael Britt wrote:
>> 
>>> Most people associate rats running in mazes with psychology, but aside from 
>>> Tolman I don't know any other psychologists who used rats in their work.  
>>> Skinner is mostly known or using pigeons (though I heard he might have used 
>>> rats at one point).  Any others?
>>> 
>>> Michael 
> 
> Paul Brandon
> Emeritus Professor of Psychology
> Minnesota State University, Mankato
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Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-01 Thread Michael Palij 
On Sun, 01 Jul 2012 09:40:06 -0700, Paul Brandon wrote:
>The term appears to be somewhat older.

Yes, it appears so.  A search of Jstor, which contains the journal
"American Speech" and other linguistically oriented journal (as well
as other types of journals), the earliest use of the term that I could
find was in 1941 in the following article:

Glossary of Army Slang
American Speech
Vol. 16, No. 3 (Oct., 1941), pp. 163-169
Published by: Duke University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/486883

Where we find:
|RAT RACE. Mounted review in Armored Force.

Now this might seem like a peculiar use of the phrase "rat race" but
it is only a short period of time later that we find the phrase used in
the contemporary sense.  Consider:

Example #1:
The Scientific Method and Historical Linguistics
William M. Austin
Journal of the American Oriental Society , Vol. 65, No. 1 (Jan. -
Mar., 1945), pp. 63-64
Published by: American Oriental Society
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/594751

Which contains the following paragraph:
|The article begins with a confused expose of certain confusing
|names of Anatolian languages. Proto-Hittite is mentioned
|(someone once referred to it by that name), thereby starting
|an involved and needless argument about how Proto-Hittite is
|the real Hittite but is not to be confused with Hittite, which is
|really Nesian but which everybody calls Hittite. This initial
|***rat-race could easily be avoided by using the
|term Hattic (supported by cuneiform Hattili) for Proto-ilittite.

The casual use of "rat race" suggests that it is assumed that the
reader will know what it means although it is not clear why.

Example #2:
Questions and Answers
Paul Peach, John W. Tukey and Frederick Mosteller
The American Statistician , Vol. 1, No. 3 (Dec., 1947), pp. 17-18
Published by: American Statistical Association
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2682536

Now, this might seem like a strange article for the term "rat race"
to occur in but consider how it is used:

|Answer. It may be illuminating to compare this problem with one
|involving a "rat race". L. P. Crespi, (American Journal of Psychology,
|55, 1942, pp. 467-517) studied the effect of the amount of reward
|on the speed with which a rat would cover a certain course-sometimes
|the rat sat still! Here, the use of the reciprocal of the time of running
|led to a very smooth and effective analysis. I suggest that you calculate
|100/ (time to reaction) and then analyze these figures.
|(NOTE: Tukey provided the above answer on p18).

It is interesting that Tukey cites Crespi's paper because it appears that
Crespi did indeed conduct rat races though he did not refer to it as such
(Note: This is relevant to Michael Britt's original request).  Here is the
citation:
Quantitative Variation of Incentive and Performance in the White Rat
Leo P. Crespi
The American Journal of Psychology , Vol. 55, No. 4 (Oct., 1942), pp. 467-517
Published by: University of Illinois Press
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1417120

Example #3:
There is a definitive example of the use of "rat race" in the current sense
in the title of the following article:

The Educational Rat-Race
Arnold J. Hartoch
The Modern Language Journal , Vol. 32, No. 4 (Apr., 1948), pp. 294-299
Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the National
Federation of Modern
Language Teachers Associations
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/318492

I leave it to others to find other examples.

So, what have we learned today?

(1)  Article databases like PsycInfo and Jstor are your friends and can answer
many questions.

(2)  Someone below stated "most people are wrong" and then went on to be
an example of what he was asserting.  Now that's what I call teaching.

-Mike Palij
New York University
m...@nyu.edu

>According to Wikipedia:
>
>"The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat. —
>commonly attributed to Lily Tomlin in People magazine (26 Dec 1977)[1], but
>according to The Yale Book of Quotations (Shapiro & Epstein, p. 767), Rosalie
>Maggio in The New Beacon Book of Quotations by Women states that William Sloane
>Coffin said "Even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat" as chaplain of
>Williams College or Yale University in the 1950s or 1960s. [2]  "

On Jul 1, 2012, at 9:55 AM, Louis E. Schmier wrote:

> Michael, most people are wrong.  The term originated with a cartoon strip
> called "Joe Rat."  If I remember correctly, it was the work of a NC State
> student and appeared in the late '70s or early '80s in the school paper.  Got
> to look it up.
>
>
> On Jul 1, 2012, at 10:46 AM, Michael Britt wrote:
>
>> Most people associate rats running in mazes with psychology, but aside from
>> Tolman I don't know any other psychologists who used rats in their work.
>> Skinner is mostly known or using pigeons (though I heard he might have used
>> rats at one point).  Any others?

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Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-01 Thread Paul Brandon 
The term appears to be somewhat older.
According to Wikipedia:

"The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat. — 
commonly attributed to Lily Tomlin in People magazine (26 Dec 1977)[1], but 
according to The Yale Book of Quotations (Shapiro & Epstein, p. 767), Rosalie 
Maggio in The New Beacon Book of Quotations by Women states that William Sloane 
Coffin said "Even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat" as chaplain of 
Williams College or Yale University in the 1950s or 1960s. [2]  "

On Jul 1, 2012, at 9:55 AM, Louis E. Schmier wrote:

> Michael, most people are wrong.  The term originated with a cartoon strip 
> called "Joe Rat."  If I remember correctly, it was the work of a NC State 
> student and appeared in the late '70s or early '80s in the school paper.  Got 
> to look it up.
> 
> 
> On Jul 1, 2012, at 10:46 AM, Michael Britt wrote:
> 
>> Most people associate rats running in mazes with psychology, but aside from 
>> Tolman I don't know any other psychologists who used rats in their work.  
>> Skinner is mostly known or using pigeons (though I heard he might have used 
>> rats at one point).  Any others?
>> 
>> Michael 

Paul Brandon
Emeritus Professor of Psychology
Minnesota State University, Mankato
pkbra...@hickorytech.net


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Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-01 Thread Paul Brandon 

On Jul 1, 2012, at 11:01 AM, Michael Palij wrote:

> One also has
> to remember that during a good part of the 20th century, experimental
> psychology laboratory was called "rat lab" because usually half of the
> semester was spent in operant conditioning of rat bar-pressing in an
> operant chamber (i.e., Skinner box).

I closed my 'Rat Lab' in 2009 when I retired, so you can extend that into the 
21st century.
And cyber technology has spawned CyberRats.

Paul Brandon
Emeritus Professor of Psychology
Minnesota State University, Mankato
pkbra...@hickorytech.net



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Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-01 Thread Ken Steele 


Hi Michael:

If you are asking about maze studies then the obvious name is 
Clark Hull, and his many students.


In the last 25 years, there has been a lot of work done with the 
radial-arm maze.


Ken

--
---
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Professor
Department of Psychology  http://www.psych.appstate.edu
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
USA
---



On 7/1/2012 10:46 AM, Michael Britt wrote:

Most people associate rats running in mazes with psychology,
but aside from Tolman I don't know any other psychologists who
used rats in their work.  Skinner is mostly known or using
pigeons (though I heard he might have used rats at one point).
Any others?

Michael

Michael A. Britt, Ph.D. mich...@thepsychfiles.com
http://www.ThePsychFiles.com Twitter: mbritt




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re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-01 Thread Michael Palij 
On Sun, 01 Jul 2012 07:47:06 -0700, Michael Britt wrote:
>Most people associate rats running in mazes with psychology, but aside from
>Tolman I don't know any other psychologists who used rats in their work.
>Skinner is mostly known or using pigeons (though I heard he might have used
>rats at one point).  Any others?

Michael, go to PsycInfo, enter "rat" as a search term, check "animal" as
population group, and then select an appropriate date range, say 1890-1950.
I get a little over 1000 hits, with one of the earliest being:

Some of the oldest lab studies are:
Experimental Study of the Mental Processes of the Rat. II
Willard S. Small
The American Journal of Psychology
Vol. 12, No. 2 (Jan., 1901), pp. 206-239
Published by: University of Illinois Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1412534

Notes on the Psychic Development of the Young White Rat
Willard S. Small
The American Journal of Psychology
Vol. 11, No. 1 (Oct., 1899), pp. 80-100
Published by: University of Illinois Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1412730

An Experimental Study of the Mental Processes of the Rat
Willard S. Small
The American Journal of Psychology
Vol. 11, No. 2 (Jan., 1900), pp. 133-165
Published by: University of Illinois Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1412267

Some notable later references:
Watson, J. B., & Watson, M. I. (1913). A study of the responses of rodents
to monochromatic light. Journal Of Animal Behavior, 3(1), 1-14.
doi:10.1037/h0072771

Watson, J. B. (1907). Kinæsthetic and organic sensations: Their role in the
reactions of the white rat to the maze. The Psychological Review: Monograph
 Supplements, 8(2), i-101. doi:10.1037/h0093040

Thorndike, E. L. (1901). Review of 'Experimental Study of the Mental Processes
of the Rat'. Psychological Review, 8(6), 643-644. doi:10.1037/h0063847

Watson, J. B. (1917). The effect of delayed feeding upon learning.
Psychobiology,
1(1), 51-59. doi:10.1037/h0074422

I am sure that there are many, many other examples.  One also has
to remember that during a good part of the 20th century, experimental
psychology laboratory was called "rat lab" because usually half of the
semester was spent in operant conditioning of rat bar-pressing in an
operant chamber (i.e., Skinner box).

-Mike Palij
New York University
m...@nyu.edu

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Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-01 Thread Paul Brandon 
Skinner's early work used rats as subjects.
He switched to pigeons during WWII when he found he could grab them off the 
window sill in the General Mills grain elevator in Minneapolis where his lab 
was located.

The Hull-Spence classical behaviorists/learning theorists used rats in alley 
and T mazes, as did physiological psychologists.

On Jul 1, 2012, at 9:46 AM, Michael Britt wrote:

> Most people associate rats running in mazes with psychology, but aside from 
> Tolman I don't know any other psychologists who used rats in their work.  
> Skinner is mostly known or using pigeons (though I heard he might have used 
> rats at one point).  Any others?
> 
> Michael

Paul Brandon
Emeritus Professor of Psychology
Minnesota State University, Mankato
pkbra...@hickorytech.net




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Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-01 Thread Jim Clark 
Hi

The question is a little vague (to me).  Many, many psychologists have and do 
use rats in their studies.  Or is the question something more specific?

Jim


James M. Clark
Professor of Psychology
204-786-9757
204-774-4134 Fax
j.cl...@uwinnipeg.ca

>>> Michael Britt  01-Jul-12 9:46 AM >>>
Most people associate rats running in mazes with psychology, but aside from 
Tolman I don't know any other psychologists who used rats in their work.  
Skinner is mostly known or using pigeons (though I heard he might have used 
rats at one point).  Any others?

Michael

Michael A. Britt, Ph.D.
mich...@thepsychfiles.com 
http://www.ThePsychFiles.com 
Twitter: mbritt






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Re: [tips] Rat race

2012-07-01 Thread Louis E. Schmier 
Michael, most people are wrong.  The term originated with a cartoon strip 
called "Joe Rat."  If I remember correctly, it was the work of a NC State 
student and appeared in the late '70s or early '80s in the school paper.  Got 
to look it up.

Make it a good day

-Louis-


Louis Schmier  
http://www.therandomthoughts.edublogs.org
Department of History
http://www.therandomthoughts.com
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /\   /\  /\ /\ 
/\
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 \
(C)  229-630-0821   / \/   \_ \/ /   \/ /\/  /  \   
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//\/\/ /\\__/__/_/\_\/  
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mountains,\ /\
  _ /  \don't practice on mole 
hills" - /   \_

On Jul 1, 2012, at 10:46 AM, Michael Britt wrote:

Most people associate rats running in mazes with psychology, but aside from 
Tolman I don't know any other psychologists who used rats in their work.  
Skinner is mostly known or using pigeons (though I heard he might have used 
rats at one point).  Any others?

Michael

Michael A. Britt, Ph.D.
mich...@thepsychfiles.com
http://www.ThePsychFiles.com
Twitter: mbritt






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[tips] Rat race

2012-07-01 Thread Michael Britt 
Most people associate rats running in mazes with psychology, but aside from 
Tolman I don't know any other psychologists who used rats in their work.  
Skinner is mostly known or using pigeons (though I heard he might have used 
rats at one point).  Any others?

Michael

Michael A. Britt, Ph.D.
mich...@thepsychfiles.com
http://www.ThePsychFiles.com
Twitter: mbritt






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