Experimental Study of Associative Processes 97 



4. " Give reasons for your opinion, and please write all the 

 reasons you have." 



Five gentlemen (Messrs. R. C. Carlisle, C. L. Edwards, V. P. 

 Wormwood, H. S. Maguire and W. E. Burke) courteously re- 

 sponded to my questionnaire. All are trainers of acknowledged 

 reputation. To these questions on imitation four replied. 



To the first question we find the following answers: (a) 

 "Most dogs would." (b) "Yes; he will very likely do it. He 

 will try and imitate the other dog generally.'" (c) "If a young 

 dog with the mother, it would be very apt to. ... With 

 older dogs, it would depend very much upon circumstances." 

 (d) "He would not." 



To 2 the answers were: (a) "Very much easier." (b) 'It 

 is always easier if they see another one do it often." (c) "This 

 would also depend on certain conditions. In teaching to jump 

 out of a box and in again, seeing another might help, but in 

 teaching something very difficult, I do not think it would be the 

 case." (d) "It is not." 



To 3 the answers were: (a) "Yes. Some. More than 

 either dogs or cats." (b) "Yes. Yes. Yes." (c) "In certain 

 things, yes ; mostly in those things which are in compliance to 

 the laws of their own nature." (d) "No. No. Yes, they are 

 born imitators." 



The only definite answer to question 4 was : "Take a dog or 

 cat and close them up in a room and go in and out several times, 

 and you will find that they will go to the door and stand up on 

 their hind legs with front paws on the door knob and try to open 

 the door to get out. I could also give you a hundred more such 

 reasons." This was given by (b). 



The replies to a test question, however, go to show that 

 these opinions regarding imitation may be mistaken. Ques- 

 tion 8 was : "If you wanted to teach a cat to get out of a 

 cage by opening an ordinary thumb latch and then pushing 

 the door, would you take the cat's paw and push down the 

 thumb piece with it and then push the door open with the 



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