Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-11-23
shephdstow Jefferson County, Virginia. Thursday November g.
How Do Animals Learn?

Men OF science are working on a new
problem-how an animals way of per-
ceiving things, and of remembering and
thinking, differs from the human way.
Every one has seen or heard of dog
that has learned to open latched gate.
Although it may have occurred to the
observer that the dogs way of acquiring
the trick was perhaps unlike mans
way, no one has been able TO say, until
recently, wherein the difference lies.
Scientifically planned experiments have
thrown light on this point.
A man learns to open a difficult lock
in one of two ways. Either he looks
carefully at the lock and all its parts be-
fore he tries to open it, and sees whether
he can reason out the best way TO attack
it. or he begins at once 10 manipulate it
in various ways, until; by chance, he hits
on the right way.
In either case, unless he is an abnor-
mally stupid person, he well remembers
how the thing was done, and if asked to
open the lock a second time Immediately
afterward, will repeat the successful
movement without any preliminary rea-
soning or any trial of wrong methods.
Remembering how the thing was done
means that the man recalls mental image
or picture of the successful movements,
and that he can do this even when the
lock in no longer present before him.
About twelve years ago Professor
Thorndike of the Teachers College OF
New York made the experiment of put
ting dogs and cats into boxes from which
they could escape only by opening door
in particular way, as, for example, paw
ing down latch or pulling a loop of
string. When they thus succeeded in
escaping, they were fed.
He found, in the first place, that the
animals never stopped TO examine the
fastenings before they attacked them.
They simply clawed and scratched at
random until they happened to make the
right movement. The cats and dogs
used a method, then, that was somewhat
like the second of the two human meth
DDS just mentioned, although their claw
ings were less definitely directed at the
lock than mans movements would have
been.
But a very important difference be-
tween the animals and human being
was brought to light when dog or cat
was returned TO the same box immedi-
ately after having made its escape. The
animal showed no sign Of remembering
the right movement to let itself out. 1t
struggled as aimlesSlyaS before, and its
success seemed to be as accidental. II
the experiment was repeated many times,
the unnecessary struggles gradually be-
came fewer, until finally the right move
ment was made as soon as the animal
was put into the. box; but the process
was so slow and gradual as to indicate
that dogs and cats never really get lhe
idea OF the right movement.
If they do, they are far slower at it than
a human being is. If they could remem-
ber or recall mental picture of the
movement that has proved successful in
a preceding test, as man does, they
would abandon the unnecessary move
ments abruptly and once for all.
Their very slow way Of learning sug-
gests the question whether animals ever
do recall mental pictures of absent things.
The solution OF this problem is being
sought in further experiments.