Hatrack River Forum: One of the funniest articles I have ever read

This is topic One of the funniest articles I have ever read in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

(You'll need bugmenot if you don't already have a NYT password.)

Posted by Boothby171 (Member # 807) on :

Hilarious!

I'll have to try that at home...

Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :

I wonder how well it would work on kids ... [Evil Laugh]

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

I was thinking it would be great on two-year-olds. I'm firmly convinced they fall in the "animal" category and they definitely need training!

Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :

That was funny....and didn't need a password. [Big Grin]

Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :

I'm going to get my girlfriend to try those on me. I can just imagine all the treats I'll be getting!

Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :

That's really brilliant. I'm going to try it at home. It sounds like a good solution to a specific problem I've been trying to fix with little success.

Posted by xnera (Member # 187) on :

Clicker training for spouses! *giggles*

Posted by b boy (Member # 9587) on :

xnera: you're exactly right. The basic principle behind clicker training and what this article is about is Positive Reinforcement.

There's a great book called "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor that will change the way you deal with people (and pets). I'm almost sure that this is the book the article is referring to.

It can be used on ANYONE. with the exception of infants and severely mentally disabled people.

I used to teach at an afterschool program, it worked great. But I find that you can't do it all using Positive Reinforcement. You have to use a combination of techniques.

Oh, and for most people, you can't make it obvious that you are rewarding them, otherwise it doesn't work. you have to find a reward that they would want from you. So in the case of someone who dislikes you, they aren't going to be rewarded by your praise. The reward in that case might be a step back, or getting out of their face.

Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :

quote:
So in the case of someone who dislikes you, they aren't going to be rewarded by your praise. The reward in that case might be a step back, or getting out of their face.

Of course one would hope that this doesn't apply to spouses. I'm sure it does in some cases, but in those cases there are problems way more critical than arguing over lost keys.

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

I think there is some value in this article, if I could get past my [Roll Eyes]

impulse.

Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :

Oh, there's quite a bit of value there. This kind of thing works best on behaviors that spouses (or kids, or friends) don't realize they do.

Posted by Sharpie (Member # 482) on :

Funny, I think I've been doing this somewhat for a long time -- ever since my sister taught me how to train my basenji with these methods.

Positive reinforcement works really well for certain kinds of childrearing issues. REALLY well.

Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :

It's might be an urban legend, but supposedly a psychology class teamed up and used positive reinforcement to manipulate their professor. Every time he wrote on one side of the chalkboard, they would give him their rapt attention. And when he wrote on the other side, they would all lose interest and look away. By the end of the class he was scribbling in the corner they tricked him into. I always wanted to try it myself.

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

quote:
Originally posted by xnera:
Clicker training for spouses! *giggles*

Xnera! I haven't seen you here in ages! What have you been up to? Hope your life has been going well.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Icarus:
I think there is some value in this article, if I could get past my impulse.

Ic, did you read the end, where she pointed out that the techniques worked just as well on her?

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

Yes I did, but I found the very premise that a spouse is a creature to be trained distasteful. I thought less of her for it.

As I said, I recognize some value in the ideas, but I found her delivery off-putting.

I wouldn't presume to "train" my wife.

My children on the other hand . . . .

Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :

Quite interesting, Ill have to give it a shot [Razz]

Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :

I seem to remember that there's an entry on Snopes.com where a class trained the professer to stand only on side of the room while teaching.

--j_k

Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :

[Roll Eyes]

Posted by Ginol_Enam (Member # 7070) on :

It reminds me of If A Man Answers...

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

quote:
Originally posted by James Tiberius Kirk:
I seem to remember that there's an entry on Snopes.com where a class trained the professer to stand only on side of the room while teaching.

--j_k

I'd willingly allow a set of students to "train" me this way . . . because they'd be paying attention!

(As a teacher and a parent, I can tell you that I pretend to fall for a lot of things I can see right through, simply because it works toward my own ends. I know from conversations with others that it is pretty common, actually.)

Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :

Interesting. I think that it can only work when coupled with other techniques, like b boy said. Still, it would be fun to try.

Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :

quote:
This kind of thing works best on behaviors that spouses (or kids, or friends) don't realize they do.

This would work on me. I have some annoying habits, I get a kick out of pleasing a girlfriend, and I tune out nagging. Actually, I don't suffer nags. I quietly pack my things and walk away, never to return.