THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIMACY IN THE 

 LEARNING OF A PIG 



GARRY C. MYERS 



Brooklyn Training School for Teachers 



During the summer of 1911 the writer performed some ex- 

 periments on an eight-week old pig. While there are many 

 obvious imperfections in the experiments the records emphasize 

 an important aspect in the learning process, namely, the tenden- 

 cy of the first of a series of habits to possess a relatively high 

 persistency. 



The apparatus was very simple. When not fed the pig was 

 shut in a pen X from which a door Y led into a lane L 23 feet 

 in length. Near the end of the lane was an opening O which 

 led into the general pen P whose measurements were 10 x 12 

 feet. Five feet from either side of P was a board K 7 inches 

 high, parallel to the lane. This board was so high that the 

 pig could not naturally see over it. In either of the corners 

 of P farthest from O and equally distant from it was placed 

 a food receptacle which could be transferred from one corner 

 (A) to the other corner (B). 



JS' 



In the first instance the pig was released at Y and found his 

 way into A where he soon found the food, morning noon, and 



