A multi-step study in animal behavior was once performed as follows:
Step #1: Five monkeys were placed inside one cage, a banana on a string was hung from the top, and stairs were placed under the dangling banana. Before long one of the monkey climbed up the stairs toward the banana.
Before the monkey was able to reach the top of the stairs and the banana, all the monkeys were sprayed with cold water. Each time one monkey climbed the stairs to get to the banana, they were all sprayed with cold water. After a while, it was found that whenever a monkey tried to climb the stairs, the other monkeys ganged up on it and prevented it from going up the stairs.
Step #2: One of the five monkeys was removed from the cage, and replaced by a new monkey.
When the "newcomer" attempted to climb the stairs, the four original monkeys ganged up and prevented the it from getting up the stairs, and all successive attempts thereafter by the "newcomer" to climb the stairs were thwarted by the original four who ganged up on it and prevented it from climbing the stairs---without the need to spray the monkeys cold water!
Step #3: Another one of the original monkeys was removed and replaced by "newcomer #2". Once again, when "newcomer #2" attempted to climb the stairs, the remaining 3 original monkeys ganged up on "newcomer #2", and interestingly, "newcomer #1" enthusiastically joined the 3 original monkeys in ganging up on "newcomer #2" and preventing it from climbing the stairs.
Step #4 and #5: Once again, one of the original monkeys was repeated until all of the 5 original monkeys had been replaced by a "newcomer". With each "newcomer", the attack -and-prevent phenomenon took place without the need to spray the monkeys with cold water.
After having replaced all of the original monkeys, it is interesting to note that none of the "replacement" ("newcomer") monkeys ever tried to climb the stairs, and there was no need to spray any cold water.
The question is: why did the five "newcomers" [who replaced the five original monkeys] behave the way they did, with not one of them climbing up the stairs to get the banana?
The conclusion is: because in their minds they have been conditioned to think that that is the way it has always been!
Interestingly, it appears that the US Congress behaves just like the monkeys in the experiment.
The "newcomers" are "conditioned" by the "old timers" to behave and think according to the way "things have always been done". That is why from time to time, all need to be replaced!
Author Unknown
Step #1: Five monkeys were placed inside one cage, a banana on a string was hung from the top, and stairs were placed under the dangling banana. Before long one of the monkey climbed up the stairs toward the banana.
Before the monkey was able to reach the top of the stairs and the banana, all the monkeys were sprayed with cold water. Each time one monkey climbed the stairs to get to the banana, they were all sprayed with cold water. After a while, it was found that whenever a monkey tried to climb the stairs, the other monkeys ganged up on it and prevented it from going up the stairs.
Step #2: One of the five monkeys was removed from the cage, and replaced by a new monkey.
When the "newcomer" attempted to climb the stairs, the four original monkeys ganged up and prevented the it from getting up the stairs, and all successive attempts thereafter by the "newcomer" to climb the stairs were thwarted by the original four who ganged up on it and prevented it from climbing the stairs---without the need to spray the monkeys cold water!
Step #3: Another one of the original monkeys was removed and replaced by "newcomer #2". Once again, when "newcomer #2" attempted to climb the stairs, the remaining 3 original monkeys ganged up on "newcomer #2", and interestingly, "newcomer #1" enthusiastically joined the 3 original monkeys in ganging up on "newcomer #2" and preventing it from climbing the stairs.
Step #4 and #5: Once again, one of the original monkeys was repeated until all of the 5 original monkeys had been replaced by a "newcomer". With each "newcomer", the attack -and-prevent phenomenon took place without the need to spray the monkeys with cold water.
After having replaced all of the original monkeys, it is interesting to note that none of the "replacement" ("newcomer") monkeys ever tried to climb the stairs, and there was no need to spray any cold water.
The question is: why did the five "newcomers" [who replaced the five original monkeys] behave the way they did, with not one of them climbing up the stairs to get the banana?
The conclusion is: because in their minds they have been conditioned to think that that is the way it has always been!
Interestingly, it appears that the US Congress behaves just like the monkeys in the experiment.
The "newcomers" are "conditioned" by the "old timers" to behave and think according to the way "things have always been done". That is why from time to time, all need to be replaced!
Author Unknown
No comments:
Post a Comment