[MD] The Quality/MOQ dichotomy

[Krimel]

> [Krimel] 
> you can't actually learn a reflex. 

[Craig]
An infant is taken into a laboratory filled with objects at various 
temperatures.  If the infant touches anything too hot or too cold, 
it recoils.  If it touches anything at 72F, it receives an electric 
shock & recoils. 
Eventually the infant is returned to the world.  It continues to 
recoil whenever it feels something at 72F.  Is it act ing to move 
towards betterment? 

[Krimel]
Please note the infant has not learned a reflex here. The infants respond to painful stimuli instinctively. If the infant learns that 72F is always paired with shock, it will avoid 72F objects to the extent that it can discriminate them. Upon returning to a world where 72F is not paired with shock, I would excepted the avoidance behavior to decrease over time since the contingencies that support the response are no longer in effect. This is called extinction. In both situations the behavior drifts toward harmony with the environment.










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