B.F Skinner, a leading 20th century psychologist who hypothesized that behavior was caused only by external factors, not by thoughts or emotions, was a controversial figure in a field that tends to attract controversial figures. In a realm of science that has given us Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and Jean Piaget, Skinner stands out by sheer quirkiness. After all, he is the scientist who trained rats to pull levers and push buttons and taught pigeons to read and play ping-pong.
Besides Freud, Skinner is arguably the most famous psychologist of the 20th century. Today, his work is basic study in introductory psychology classes across the country. But what drives a man to teach his children’s cats to play piano and instruct his beagle on how to play hide and seek? Last year, Norwegian researchers dove into his past to figure it out. The team combed through biographies, archival material and interviews with those who knew him, then tested Skinner on a common personality scale.
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They found Skinner, who would be 109 years old today, was highly conscientious, extroverted and somewhat neurotic—a trait shared by as many as 45 percent of leading scientists. The analysis revealed him to be a tireless worker, one who introduced a new approach to behavioral science by building on the theories of Ivan Pavlov and John Watson.
Skinner wasn’t interested in understanding the human mind and its mental processes—his field of study, known as behaviorism, was primarily concerned with observable actions and how they arose from environmental factors. He believed that our actions are shaped by our experience of reward and punishment, an approach that he called operant conditioning. The term “operant” refers to an animal or person “operating” on their environment to affect change while learning a new behavior.
Operant conditioning breaks down a task into increments. If you want to teach a pigeon to turn in a circle to the left, you give it a reward for any small movement it makes in that direction. Soon, the pigeon catches onto this and makes larger movements to the left, which garner more rewards, until the bird completes the full circle. Skinner believed that this type of learning even relates to language and the way we learn to speak. Children are rewarded, through their parents’ verbal encouragement and affection, for making a sound that resembles a certain word until they can actually say that word.
- “Rules of the Game” is a short story from Amy Tan’s 1989 best-selling collection of short stories, The Joy Luck Club. The Joy Luck Club is often categorized as a novel as well.
- As the game progresses, more levels of both mini-games are unlocked and can be accessed at any time you visit the lab. The chemistry game can be found on the computer to your left as you enter the lab, while the circuit game can be found on the table to your right as your walking in. Complete all the puzzles and you'll earn the 'A Bit of A.
Skinner’s approach introduced a new term into the literature: reinforcement. Behavior that is reinforced, like a mother excitedly drawing out the sounds of “mama” as a baby coos, tends to be repeated, and behavior that’s not reinforced tends to weaken and die out. “Positive” refers to the practice of encouraging a behavior by adding to it, such as rewarding a dog with a treat, and “negative” refers to encouraging a behavior by taking something away. For example, when a driver absentmindedly continues to sit in front of a green light, the driver waiting behind them honks his car horn. The first person is reinforced for moving when the honking stops. The phenomenon of reinforcement extends beyond babies and pigeons: we’re rewarded for going to work each day with a paycheck every two weeks, and likely wouldn’t step inside the office once they were taken away.
Today, the spotlight has shifted from such behavior analysis to cognitive theories, but some of Skinner’s contributions continue to hold water, from teaching dogs to roll over to convincing kids to clean their rooms. Here are a few:
1. The Skinner box. To show how reinforcement works in a controlled environment, Skinner placed a hungry rat into a box that contained a lever. As the rat scurried around inside the box, it would accidentally press the lever, causing a food pellet to drop into the box. After several such runs, the rat quickly learned that upon entering the box, running straight toward the lever and pressing down meant receiving a tasty snack. The rat learned how to use a lever to its benefit in an unpleasant situation too: in another box that administered small electric shocks, pressing the lever caused the unpleasant zapping to stop.
2. Project Pigeon. During World War II, the military invested Skinner’s project to train pigeons to guide missiles through the skies. The psychologist used a device that emitted a clicking noise to train pigeons to peck at a small, moving point underneath a glass screen. Skinner posited that the birds, situated in front of a screen inside of a missile, would see enemy torpedoes as specks on the glass, and rapidly begin pecking at it. Their movements would then be used to steer the missile toward the enemy: Pecks at the center of the screen would direct the rocket to fly straight, while off-center pecks would cause it to tilt and change course. Skinner managed to teach one bird to peck at a spot more than 10,000 times in 45 minutes, but the prospect of pigeon-guided missiles, along with adequate funding, eventually lost luster.
3. The Air-Crib. Skinner tried to mechanize childcare through the use of this “baby box,” which maintained the temperature of a child’s environment. Humorously known as an “heir conditioner,” the crib was completely humidity- and temperate-controlled, a feature Skinner believed would keep his second daughter from getting cold at night and crying. A fan pushed air from the outside through a linen-like surface, adjusting the temperature throughout the night. The air-crib failed commercially, and although his daughter only slept inside at night, many of Skinner’s critics believed it was a cruel and experimental way to raise a child.
4. The teaching box. Skinner believed using his teaching machine to break down material bit by bit, offering rewards along the way for correct responses, could serve almost like a private tutor for students. Material was presented in sequence, and the machine provided hints and suggestions until students verbally explained a response to a problem (Skinner didn’t believe in multiple choice answers). The device wouldn’t allow students to move on in a lesson until they understood the material, and when students got any part of it right, the machine would spit out positive feedback until they reached the solution. The teaching box didn’t stick in a school setting, but many computer-based self-instruction programs today use the same idea.
5. The Verbal Summator. An auditory version of the Rorschach inkblot test, this tool allowed participants to project subconscious thoughts through sound. Skinner quickly abandoned this endeavor as personality assessment didn’t interest him, but the technology spawned several other types of auditory perception tests.
Lobos point guard Jeremiah Francis, left, and forward Bayron Matos, right, defend Rice Owl Chris Mullins (24) during Sunday’s game in Houston. (Photo courtesy Maria Lysaker for UNM Athletics)
Here are a few extra notes, quotes, stats, videos and whatever else I could empty out of the old notebook that didn’t fit into print after the Lobos’ 72-61 road win over Rice on Sunday in Houston: They actually played!
There are 357 Division I men’s college basketball teams.
If you take away the eight in the Ivy League, which decided as a conference not to play this season due to COVID-19, there were just 26 left that had not played a game entering Sunday.
The Lobos were more than happy to make it 24 on Sunday — becoming the last in the 11-team Mountain West to play a game (San Jose State’s first was Friday, Colorado State’s was Saturday).
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UNM, as has been heavily reported at this point, had a late start to the season as full team practices and games are currently prohibited in New Mexico due to a public health order. After relocating to West Texas to practice at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, and also playing and practicing some in Lubbock, Texas, there were more than a few worries about whether Sunday’s game would really ever get here.
“To be totally honest with you, you just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop,” admitted Lobos coach Paul Weir. “We’ve been down the road so many different times and I’ve had to have some really difficult conversations with the guys (about the delays to UNM’s season). But we tested Friday evening and when the test results came back on Saturday, and we were all negative, it was kind of that moment of like, ‘Oh my gosh, this might actually happen.’ I think until that point, even the players were probably skeptical that this might actually take place.
“So, it’s an amazing feeling. I told the guys after the game, how proud I am of them to be able to go out and compete this way given all the different things that they’ve had to go through. We just need to enjoy this and savor it and and ride this journey for as long as it’ll go.”
![Saying Saying](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/15lyRWPq0po/maxresdefault.jpg)
Freshman forward Bayron Matos left his prep school in December 2019 to enroll last season at UNM, though he redshirted and did not play a game, meaning the Dominican Republic native had a full year since his last game.
“It was hard,” he said Sunday, after the 6-foot-9 forward had 10 points and five rebounds in his college debut. “Like, my mind was going crazy. My family back home kept calling me. That was hard seeing your friends playing games hopping I see your friends playing games, you don’t even know when you play your first game, when you’re going to start to practice. But, you know, I stayed positive and believed in the program and (knew) that everything would go well.”
Gamer in print
Here’s the game story that posted online Sunday afternoon and was published in Monday’s Albuquerque Journal:
A number to know: 100
Sunday was college game No. 100 for Lobos senior Makuach Maluach.
That probably explains why he was so good and some of this teammates on the Lobos, with a roster of so many new players (12 had never played a game for UNM before Sunday). I asked Maluach after the game if he was nervous at all.
“Nah, pretty calm,” he said. “You know, I have a lot of games under my belt. So you know, just same mindset, same routine. Just come in and compete and try and get a win.”
Up Next
Tuesday, also at Rice’s Tudor Fieldhouse, the Lobos will host NAIA Our Lady of the Lake at 5 p.m. The game will be streamed on YouTube (I have not seen a link to what YouTube channel it will be on, yet).
Our Lady of the Lake is a name college basketball fans are probably aware of, a regular in the non-conference time of the season picking up a handful of games vs. Division I programs. This season, the Saints have already played four Division I teams, including beating the Sun Belt’s Texas State on Saturday.
The Saints lost to Rice on Nov. 28, 103-64.
RIP, Aggie legend
New Mexico State University basketball legend Jimmy Collins, one of the stars of the 1970 Final Four Aggies team, has passed away, his family announced on Sunday.
He was 74.
Game Pigeon Keeps Saying Waiting For Opponents
RIP, Jimmy.
We lost a great one today ?
Rest in peace, Jimmy. #AggieUp
? | https://t.co/bsF3XOLkxBpic.twitter.com/YRWfwGuChG
— NM State Aggies (@NMStateAggies) December 13, 2020
Jimmy Collins, Coach and Sam Lacey are together again ❤️?
There's one heck of a game being played up in heaven. #AggieUppic.twitter.com/Yl2zxRWpm8
— NM State MBB (@NMStateMBB) December 13, 2020
More on Maluach
While the gamer I wrote was Makuach Maluach heavy (why wouldn’t it be with his scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds?), it’s worth again just taking a look at some numbers surrounding Maluach’s performance, career and what’s coming up…
Sunday stat line:
• 23 points
• 12 rebounds (6 offensive)
• 8-14 FGs (2-2 3FGs); 5-6 FTs
• 23 points
• 12 rebounds (6 offensive)
• 8-14 FGs (2-2 3FGs); 5-6 FTs
Career stat updates:
• 100th game played Sunday
• His 23 points Sunday give him 982 for his career, pulling him within 18 of becoming the 35th Lobos to score 1,000 points in a college career.
• 100th game played Sunday
• His 23 points Sunday give him 982 for his career, pulling him within 18 of becoming the 35th Lobos to score 1,000 points in a college career.
Maluach with his first three of the season to put the Lobos up by 12, 50-38. Maluach leads the Lobos with 15 points. 9 mins left. #GoLobospic.twitter.com/YFXTgaUjvY
— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) December 13, 2020
A number to know: 19
The Lobos pulled down 19 offensive rebounds on Sunday, tied for the second most in the Paul Weir era of Lobo basketball. The team has a goal this season each game to grab 10 more offensive rebounds than their opponent.
“Our goal is to be plus-10 on the offensive boards,” Lobos coach Paul Weir said. “We were plus-9 tonight, which was a perfect. … A big part of our identity is going to be being able to rebound the ball. It’s been a big part of our preseason emphasis.”
The Lobos had four players grab three or more offensive boards: Maluach (6), Rod Brown (4), Valdir Manuel (3), Bayron Matos (3).
As mentioned above, the 19 rebounds tie for the second most a Lobos team has had under Weir. The top four offensive rebound totals in the Weir era are:
• 26 – In a loss Feb. 26, 2019, at San Jose State
• 19 – In a win Sunday at Rice
• 19 – In a win vs. UC-Davis on Dec. 29, 2019
• 19 – In a win vs. Omaha on Nov. 14, 2017
• 19 – In a win Sunday at Rice
• 19 – In a win vs. UC-Davis on Dec. 29, 2019
• 19 – In a win vs. Omaha on Nov. 14, 2017
The flip side of a lot of offensive rebounds is that the team has to miss a lot of shots to get a lot of offensive rebounds. But, nevertheless, it was an impressive performance on Sunday. Which leads us to the next note…
Stop the count!
The Lobos’ 19 rebounds, coupled with Rice’s 20 defensive rebounds, gave UNM an offensive rebounding percentage of 48.7%.
As of Sunday night, in an extremely small sample size, that’s a figure good enough to lead all of Division I college basketball.
Stop the count.
The UNM Lobos have the best offensive rebounding % in the nation per KenPom at 48.7%.
The Lobos had 19 offensive boards Sunday and outrebounded the Owls overall 49-30. pic.twitter.com/l2exwOKlZs
— Geoff Grammer (@GeoffGrammer) December 13, 2020
He said it
“That’s what the quarantine will get you to do, man. It gets you to do some stuff people are not accustomed to. …
“I love my guys. Emmanuel (Kuac) brought it up, saying you should try something with your hair, so I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’ So he did it.”
Game Pigeon Keeps Saying Waiting For Opponent Every
–Lobos senior Makuach Maluach on the decision to color a patch of his hair red before the season opener — the first time in four seasons at UNM he has done that with his hair.
Meanwhile, in Boise…
Boise State is waiting for the Lobos for both teams to open Mountain West play Dec. 21 and 23.
Sunday, in the Broncos’ last game before UNM, Weber State’s Dillon Jones accidentally punched referee Rick Batsell in a celebration of a hard drive to the rim in which he scored and was fouled.
OUCH! ?
Weber State’s Dillon Jones accidentally punches referee Rick Batsell while celebrating vs. Boise State. pic.twitter.com/VzPs7CfibF
— Heat Check CBB (@HeatCheckCBB) December 13, 2020
Around the Mountain
Sunday saw four Mountain West hoops games with Monday bringing three more…
SUNDAY:
• Drake 81, Air Force 53
• New Mexico 72, Rice 61
• Boise State 70, Weber State 59
• Cal Poly 75, San Jose State 71
• Drake 81, Air Force 53
• New Mexico 72, Rice 61
• Boise State 70, Weber State 59
• Cal Poly 75, San Jose State 71
MONDAY:
• Northern Arizona at Colorado State, 6 p.m.
• Nevada at San Diego, 7 p.m.
• Pepperdine at UNLV, 7:30 p.m.
• Northern Arizona at Colorado State, 6 p.m.
• Nevada at San Diego, 7 p.m.
• Pepperdine at UNLV, 7:30 p.m.
A couple of the new guys
Here’s an assist from junior college transfer Rod Brown to fellow junior college transfer Saquan Singleton for an early bucket in Sunday’s game. Both were in the starting lineup for the Lobos.
Brown feeds Singleton to close the gap! #GoLobospic.twitter.com/ulEuXZLtnK
Game Pigeon Keeps Saying Waiting For Opponent Night
— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) December 13, 2020
Plus/minus stats
Here are the Lobos’ plus/minus stats for Sunday’s game at Rice with +/-, player name and minutes played in parenthasis:
+22 Emmanuel Kuac (20:12)
+9 Jeremiah Francis (29:21)
+9 Keith McGee (15:26)
+8 Makuach Maluach (28:04)
+5 Saquan Singleton (24:50)
+5 Clay Patterson (2:01)
+4 Valdir Manuel (13:17)
+2 Rod Brown (24:31)
+2 Kurt Wegscheider (10:29)
-3 Javonte Johnson (9:33)
-6 Bayron Matos (22:16)
+9 Jeremiah Francis (29:21)
+9 Keith McGee (15:26)
+8 Makuach Maluach (28:04)
+5 Saquan Singleton (24:50)
+5 Clay Patterson (2:01)
+4 Valdir Manuel (13:17)
+2 Rod Brown (24:31)
+2 Kurt Wegscheider (10:29)
-3 Javonte Johnson (9:33)
-6 Bayron Matos (22:16)
Final stats
Here is a link to the final stats from Sunday’s game: UNM 72, Rice 61
And if you prefer the more traditional looking version, here you go: UNM 72, Rice 61
Oh, those 3s…
UNM could struggle to shoot from the outside this season, and on Sunday that showed up with a 4-of-17 (23.5%) showing.
And on the other side, Lobo fans may have been having flashbacks early as the Lobo defense was still getting lit up from beyond the arc, as it seams to do with regularity the past couple seasons.
Rice hit 13-of-35 3-pointers (37.1%), but just 7-of-22 (31.8%) in the second half.
The Lobos certainly can’t be happy with giving up 13 3-pointers a game, but if an opponent needs 35 attempts to get there and take just 21 2-pointers, it’s probably because they are either A) incapable of scoring inside on the Lobos, which is a good sign, or B) trailing in the game and trying to make a come back, which would also be a good sign for the Lobos.
Then again, teams could just be hitting a ton of 3’s on the Lobos because the Lobos aren’t defending the line very well.
DNP: COVID
UNM’s 7-foot-1 center Assane N’Diaye did not play for the Lobos on Sunday due to what the university simply described as COVID-19 issues.
While the Journal confirmed N’Diaye doesn’t currently have COVID-19, the program isn’t saying publicly if he had it in the past and this is related to that or if his absence is related to contact tracing matters involving him having been in contact with somebody with COVID-19.
There is no public timetable on his return to the team.
DNP: Coaches decisions
These Lobo players did not play on Sunday, but not due to COVID, just coaches decision:
• Freshman guard Isaiah Marin
• Redshirt-freshman guard Daniel Headdings (walk-on)
• Sophomore forward Logan Padgett (walk-on)
• Freshman guard Nolan Dorsey
• Freshman guard Eloy Medina (walk-on)
• Junior forward Jordan Arroyo (walk-on)
• Redshirt-freshman guard Daniel Headdings (walk-on)
• Sophomore forward Logan Padgett (walk-on)
• Freshman guard Nolan Dorsey
• Freshman guard Eloy Medina (walk-on)
• Junior forward Jordan Arroyo (walk-on)
Until next time…
Game Pigeon Keeps Saying Waiting For Opponent Tonight
No empty arena pic for me like this column usually concludes with after every game I cover. Such is the way of a crazy COVID-19 reality this year.
I hope to be back in the arenas covering games in person soon enough, but for now I’ll keep doing so from afar and still keep trying to bring you all as much of the extra tid bits I can manage to find on the team so many of you are still trying to get to know.