Allen, Association in the Guinea Pig. 3 1 9 



training. It was found that less disturbance was produced with 

 them by working in the animal room, as all the guinea pigs 

 were now accustomed to the presence of the experimenter, and 

 did not alter their daily routine. Later all experiments were 

 carried on in the animal room without any complications arising. 



Test VI. Preliminary. 



January 24. I took adult guinea pigs from their cages to 

 another room where conditions of noise, etc.. could be gov- 

 erned. Owing to their extreme timidity and fear of handling 

 they did not recover from the removal sufficiently to give any 

 reactions. It then became necessary to tame them, to accus- 

 tom them to their new surroundings, and to acquaint them with 

 the first apparatus to be used. For this purpose each animal 

 was brought to the experimental room and left in the wire cage 

 several hours daily. Each guinea pig was also handled and pet- 

 ted as much as possible. 



January 29. They had become used to the petting and 

 apparatus, and had practically learned the simple problem to be 

 taught them first. The\' had not solved the problem, but had 

 been taught. 



The method of teaching was as follows : When first placed 

 in the cage the}' remained quiescent in one corner. I placed 

 food very near them, and soon they made a dash for it. Grad- 

 ually I removed the food farther away, but they w^ere afraid to 

 enter the box. When they became accustomed to my hand I 

 held the food toward them and tolled them to the box. After 

 a few trials they learned to get into the box for the food. 



This record of the manner of teaching an animal has inter- 

 est because of Thorndike's observations upon the same sub- 

 ject. He concludes ^ from a questionnaire to animal trainers, 

 that "None of these [the trainers] would naturally start to teach 

 a trick by putting the animal through the motions. . . I 

 see no reason for modifying our dogma that animals cannot 

 learn without the impulse." 



' Psychological Review, JMon. Suppl., Vol. II, p. 72. 



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