Hi Miguel:
But here are some of the conundrums that you encounter with following the Marshall Hall pathway. If a reflex is a simple, unlearned response to a stimulus then why do we talk about conditioned reflexes as learned responses to a stimulus? Is a reflex unlearned or learned? This position leads to the proposition that there are two kinds of reflexes: learned and unlearned. Which leads to several questions. Isn’t a learned reflex an oxymoron? How do you discriminate between the two type of reflexes? How do you know that your unlearned reflex isn’t really a learned reflex, since you can’t see the history of its development? (This issue was a favorite of the American Functionalists - the TC Schneirla crowd.) I see learning textbooks (and students) trap themselves in contradictory statements, leaving everybody confused. I can point to specific paragraphs in learning textbooks which define a reflex as unlearned and then in the next sentence define a conditioned reflex as learned. It is no wonder that students find classical conditioning as a confusing topic. You are correct that Hall’s definition is the most popular. I send grad students on a hunt through their subfields to find the most common definition of a reflex and the Hall definition is the most popular, although Marshall Hall is almost unknown as a name in psychology. I am not saying that Skinner’s solution is the best but that textbooks have left students (and a bunch of faculty) feeling very confused. I am glad that you were able to find the article. Google can be so helpful at times. Best regards, Ken > On Oct 7, 2018, at 12:33 PM, Miguel Roig <ro...@stjohns.edu> wrote: > > But, I like Hall's definition! And it is the definition for reflex that most > introductory, and even some advanced textbooks, provide: A simple unlearned > response to a stimulus. > > From the description provided by Schwarz, it seems as if he is using a > 'looser' definition a la Skinner. But, yes, if you've already lost the > ability to swallow ... WTH ... The quote is confusing!!! > > And thanks for the reference! Found it online via a simple Google search. ;-) > > Miguel > ________________________________________ > From: Kenneth Steele [steel...@appstate.edu] > Sent: Sunday, October 7, 2018 10:20 AM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > Subject: Re: [tips] A question and a comment > > Hi Miguel: > > Few people understand that one reason that people have so much difficulty > with the term ‘reflex’ is that there are several definitions of the term in > use. Most people seem to be using Marshall Hall’s definition (unconscious, > unlearned, involuntary behavior). > > I recommend Skinner (1931) ‘The concept of the reflex in the description of > behavior’ J. Gen. Psych., 5, 427-458, to help unravel some of these uses. > Read his summary for the Cliff Notes version of the history. (There are > other histories, too.) > > Back to your original question, the quote makes no sense. If someone has a > dysfunctional swallowing reflex then putting food into that person’s mouth is > the worst thing you can do. The likely outcome is that the person will > aspirate the food or liquid and choke. > > Ken > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Kenneth M. Steele, Ph.D. > steel...@appstate.edu<mailto:steel...@appstate.edu> > Professor > Department of Psychology http://www.psych.appstate.edu > Appalachian State University > Boone, NC 28608 > USA > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > On Oct 7, 2018, at 9:39 AM, Miguel Roig > <ro...@stjohns.edu<mailto:ro...@stjohns.edu>> wrote: > > Good morning, here is question for your: I was reading this article on the > lack of coverage of dementia situations in advance directives, > https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/well/live/an-advance-directive-for-patients-with-dementia.html > (an interesting read in its own right) when I came upon the following quote: > “People should at least understand what the normal process of advanced > dementia is about,” Dr. Schwarz said. “Feeding tubes are not the issue — > they’re not done when dementia is terminal. Instead, a caregiver will stand > patiently at the bedside and spoon food into your mouth as long as you open > it. Opening your mouth when a spoon approaches is a primitive reflex that > persists long after you’ve lost the ability to swallow and know what to do > with what’s put in your mouth.” My question: Is Schwarz referring to the > rooting reflex? If so, isn't touching the cheek necessary for the reflex to > be triggered and, if that is the case then, isn't what he is describing a > learned behavior, even if its strength lies in it being grounded on an > earlier reflex or something to that effect? I would appreciate any > clarification on this. > > And now a comment or, really, a heads-up that is unrelated to the above > question and perhaps not even real news to most of us: It concerns an article > and a documentary about the high price of academic publishing. The article by > Richard Smith, former editor of the BMJ is freely available from the latest > issue of the Lancet, though you need to register to get it, > https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)32353-5/fulltext. > The article is based, in part on the documentary "Paywall". The video is > over an hour long, but just the first 10 minutes will likely outrage even > those who are already aware of the current state of academic publishing. You > can check it out for free at: https://paywallthemovie.com/. > > Miguel > > This email may contain proprietary, confidential and/or privileged material > for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). Any review, use, distribution > or disclosure by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended > recipient (or authorized to receive for the recipient), please contact the > sender by reply email and delete all copies of this message. > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: > steel...@appstate.edu<mailto:steel...@appstate.edu>. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13524.94845a3ed9806f1cef14973830dd8c39&n=T&l=tips&o=52866 > or send a blank email to > leave-52866-13524.94845a3ed9806f1cef14973830dd8...@fsulist.frostburg.edu<mailto:leave-52866-13524.94845a3ed9806f1cef14973830dd8...@fsulist.frostburg.edu> > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: > ro...@stjohns.edu<mailto:ro...@stjohns.edu>. > > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=3343621.18283a1227eb73d1ce74b7f7163cf851&n=T&l=tips&o=52867 > > (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) > > or send a blank email to > leave-52867-3343621.18283a1227eb73d1ce74b7f7163cf...@fsulist.frostburg.edu<mailto:leave-52867-3343621.18283a1227eb73d1ce74b7f7163cf...@fsulist.frostburg.edu> > > This email may contain proprietary, confidential and/or privileged material > for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). Any review, use, distribution > or disclosure by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended > recipient (or authorized to receive for the recipient), please contact the > sender by reply email and delete all copies of this message. > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: steel...@appstate.edu. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13524.94845a3ed9806f1cef14973830dd8c39&n=T&l=tips&o=52868 > or send a blank email to > leave-52868-13524.94845a3ed9806f1cef14973830dd8...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: arch...@mail-archive.com. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=52869 or send a blank email to leave-52869-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
