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Re: Thoughts on "Origins of human thought"
Mike (griffin@txdirect.com)
27 Oct 1995 17:55:43 GMT
My husband just pointed out to me that one reason the cats act in
accordance with the "conversations" we're holding for them (many of
them being much more complex than the "thank you, Daddy" example I
gave) is that we've gotten good at predicting their behavior. In support
of this, he points out that it's most likely to happen when I'm doing the
talking (I've lived with cats all my life) and least when our housemate's
talking (he grew up petless and interacts with the cats less often than
we do because he travels so much). So I guess "unconscious cueing" of
the experimenter by the animal has to be guarded against, as well as the
reverse!
Boy, no wonder scientists hate anecdotal evidence!
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