Animal intelligence: Experimental studiesThorndike, Edward L. (Edward Lee)
Science
Animal intelligence: Experimental studies
Thorndike, Edward L. (Edward Lee)
Animal intelligence; Psychology, Comparative
B. A string attached to the bolt ran up over a pulley on the front edge
of the door, then across the box to another pulley screwed into the
inside of the back of the box 1¼ inches below the top, and passing over
it ended in a wire loop (3 inches in diameter) 6 inches above the floor
in back center of box. Force applied to the loop or _to the string_ as it
ran across the top of the box between two bars would open the door. We
may call B ‘_O at back_.’
B1. In B1 the string ran outside the box, coming down through a hole at
the back, and was therefore inaccessible and invisible from within. Only
by pulling the loop could the door be opened. B1 may be called ‘_O at
back 2d_.’
C. A door of the usual position and size (as in Fig. 1) was kept closed
by a wooden button 3½ inches long, ⅞ inch wide, ½ inch thick. This turned
on a nail driven into the box ½ inch above the middle of the top edge of
the door. The door would fall inward as soon as the button was turned
from its vertical to a horizontal position. A pull of 125 grams would
do this if applied sideways at the lowest point of the button 2¼ inches
below its pivot. The cats usually clawed the button round by downward
pressure on its top edge, which was 1¼ inches above the nail. Then, of
course, more force was necessary. C may be called ‘_Button_.’
D. The door was in the extreme right of the front. A string fastened to
the bolt which held it ran up over a pulley on the top edge and back to
the top edge of the back side of the box (3 inches in from the right
side) and was there firmly fastened. The top of the box was of wire
screening and arched over the string ¾ inch above it along its entire
length. A slight pull on the string anywhere opened the door. This box
was 20 × 16, but a space 7 × 16 was partitioned off at the left by a wire
screen. D may be called ‘_String_.’
D1 was the same box as B, but had the string fastened firmly at the back
instead of running over a pulley and ending in a wire loop. We may call
it ‘_String 2d_.’
E. A string ran from the bolt holding the door up over a pulley and down
to the floor outside the box, where it was fastened 2 inches in front of
the box and 1½ inches to the left of the door (looking from the inside).
By poking a paw out between the bars and pulling this string inward the
door would be opened. We may call E ‘_String outside_.’
In F the string was not fastened to the floor but ended in a loop 2½
inches in diameter which could be clawed down so as to open the door.
Unless the pull was in just the right direction, the string was likely
to catch on the pulley. This loop hung 3 inches above the floor, and 1¾
inches in front of the box. We may call F ‘_String outside unfastened_.’
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