Hero City/Random Streets

Today, this thought seriously ran through my head:

“I wonder if there are any research articles on the effects of physiological variables on establishing operations of behavior. It makes sense, because physiological changes would signify changes in an individual’s internal environment, which DOES have an effect on behavior in general.

But if there were articles, they would have to be case studies, because there’s no way it would be ethical to conduct experiments on permanent changes to the central nervous system. I mean, how could they get away with doing permanent nerve damage to someone to see how it changes the way they perceive their external environment? The changes would be irreversible, and the effects could be so severe that the person would never be able to withstand them.

It does make sense, though. Changes in the way an individual perceives stimuli could alter the history with that stimuli. Essentially, if the person is deprived of touch (when it has been reinforcing) than the EO for behaviors that result in touch will increase. But nerve damage that makes touch extremely painful would act as an AO and decrease those behaviors.

I need to look this up when I get home.”

SAVE ME.