SERIAL ADAPTATION 17/5 



It should be noticed that the seven sets of variables (Figure 

 17/5/2) are grouped in one way when viewed anatomically and 

 in a very different way when viewed functionally. The anato- 

 mical point of view sees five sets in the animal's body and two sets 

 in the outside world. The functional point of view sees the whole 

 as composed of two parts : an ' adapting ' part B, to which A 

 is ' environment '. 



It is now possible to predict how the system will behave after 

 the above processes have occurred. Because part A, the ' avoid- 

 ing ' system, is unchanged, the behaviour of the whole will still 

 be such that collisions do not occur ; and the reactions to the 

 food supply will maintain the blood-glucose within normal limits. 

 But, in addition, because B became adapted to A, the getting of 

 food will be modified so that it does not involve collisions, for all 

 such variations will have been eliminated. 



If, next, the second reaction becomes unbreakable, by mere 

 repetition third and subsequent reactions can similarly be added. 



The multistable system will thus show the phenomenon of serial 

 adaptation, not only in its seriality but in the proper adaptation 

 of each later acquisition to the earlier. 



References 



Cowles, J. T. Food-tokens as incentives for learning by chimpanzees. 

 Comparative Psychology Monographs, 14, No. 71 ; 1937-8. 



Culler, E. A. Recent advances in some concepts of conditioning. Psycho- 

 logical Review, 45, 134 ; 1938. 



Duncan, C. P. The retroactive effect of electroshock on learning. Journal 

 of comparative and physiological Psychology, 42, 32 ; 1949. 



Wolfe, J. B. Effectiveness of token-rewards for chimpanzees. Compara- 

 tive Psychology Monographs, 12, No. 60 ; 1935-6. 



189 



