pigeons provide insight to superstition - Darkforum.com - Dark Stories, Dark Art, Poetry, Photography, Debates and Discussions

masochist · **pigeons provide insight to superstition -** 03-03-03

from an article by David Newnham on superstition:

Quote:

...but it was in 1947 that a dozen pigeons gave researchers at the University of Indiana what was to prove the most fundamental insight into the roots of superstition and magic - even, many would argue, of religion itself. These birds were put on restricted rations, so that before long their body weight had fallen by 25% and they were permanently hungry. When each bird had, in the words of Professer Burrhus Frederic Skinner, been "brought to a stable state of hunger", it found itself spending several minutes a day in a special cage. At one end of the cage was an automatic food hopper, linked to a timer so that it would swing into place every 15 seconds, and remain in place for 5 secs before disappearing.

Curcial to the set- up was the fact that, no matter what the pigeon did, the food came and went at set intervals. For the purpose of the experiment ws to observe what effect its comings and goings had on the pigeons. And, sad to say, it made them - and, by extension, us - look somewhat foolish.

Before long, one of the pigeons had begun making strange counterclockwise turns in the intervals between the hopper's arrival. Others indulged in repetitive head movements, while two birds developed a complicated pedulum motion of the head and body. By the end f the experiment, six of the eight subjects were performing elaborat routines, clearly with the intention of hastening the return of the food. In each case, the routine grew out of some action that the bird had just happened to be performing when the hopper appeard.

comments?

Necropolis · 03-03-03

Laughing, just laughing.

Jordyn · 03-03-03

if it works once, what's to say it won't work again?

crying childe · 03-26-03

pigeon's....................*falls about laughing*

silverflame · 03-27-03

pigeons are smarter than us??? what a sad, sad world...a bird that drops shit out of the sky to land on unsuspecting victims is smarter than i.

John Preston · 04-02-03

Actually they aren't smarter than us. Any little child would repeat an action that would otherwise result in a toy/food/wonderful goodie. Overall, they're just reacting as almost anything would.

What does this have to do with superstition, though? I don't exactly anticipate that a bunch of neaderthals were starving pigeons and watching the movements they made.

masochist · 04-03-03

oh it's to do with superstion because for example, you may win a game by wearing a pair of lucky socks, and therefore must wear those socks again. even if it doesn't work [it doesn't for 15 minutes when the pigeons do it] it doesn't mean to say it wont.

or like the other day, when my camera wouldn't work, but my boyfriend comes up and gives me a hug and it worked. i think i'm rational at times, but when it didn't work again when he went away, i made him come back quickly so that i could take more photos. no it didn't work again, i think it must've been fluke.

John Preston · 04-03-03

Yeah, I already knew that most superstition was rooted in something basic and sad...and this helps to prove it. Thanks masochist..

By the way, I fear your avatar...I fear it lots.

crying childe · 04-04-03

rainbow bright............what way did the theme song go for that again??

masochist · 04-04-03

fuck. i cant remember...

oh, and preston? rainbow bright wants only to be your sadistic friend...

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