IOWA ACADEMY OP SCIENCES. 41 



was repeated many times with the same animal, the time being- 

 always noted, until theappropriate act was thoroughly learned, 

 and performed as soon as the animal found itself in the box. 

 Then the progress of the education was platted in the form of 

 a time curve for future study. 



The following are the main conclusions drawn by Dr. Thorn- 

 dyke from these experiments: 



First. — The animals never thought about their situation at 

 all, but out of a multitude of what might be called instinctive 

 activities, such as clawing, pushing, etc., happened to hit upon 

 the act that opened the door. 



This successful act resulted in pleasure ( i. e. food) and by 

 repetition these pleasurable acts are "stamped in " and the 

 proper assosiation is formed through experience, while the 

 unsuccessful acts are "stamped out " by the absence of pleas- 

 ure. 



It may be objected that the conclusion that the animal does 

 not think about its situation at all is entirely gratuitous. It 

 would not, in my opinion, be at all unreisonable to claim that 

 the animal was doing a deal of thinking and that his thoughts 

 might take some such shape as this. " This is unpleasant and 

 I want to get out. I will try all sorts of ways, such as scratch- 

 ing, clawing and pushing until I find a way to escape." Shut a 

 hungry small boy in a tight box and he would have numerous 

 thoughts although he would probably act very much as the cat 

 did, except that he would pouad and kick and push instead of 

 scratching and clawing and pushing. 



Dr. Thorndyke is so impressed with the importance of his 

 own conclusion that he says, " Surely every one must agree 

 that no man now has a r'ght to advance theories about what is 

 in an animal 's mind, or to deny previous theories unless he sup- 

 ports his theories by systematic and extended experiments." 

 (Page 31.) 



In other words the naturalist who may have spent the better 

 part of a lifetime in carefully observing animals in a state of 

 nature, must forever hold his peace in the presence of one who 

 • has put numerous cats in boxes, thus subjecting them to utterly 

 unnatural conditions, conditions that would be more likely to 

 inhibit than to encourage normal psychic acts. 



Second. — Animals do not draw inferences, neither do they 

 reason. 



