Pavlov's America

 It seems one cannot fully escape one's past. Our minds have the uncanny ability to drag up things we did not know we could remember. Forty-four years have come and gone from my college graduation day. Yet, random things I was required to read find their way to the frontal lobes and pierce my thoughts and cause me to ponder. My studies were multi-faceted, with equal credits in psychology, sociology and Bible and a collection more in history and speech. An interest and further pursuit in cultural anthropology has been the unintended consequence. It has led to a, perhaps, unusual approach to my study of God's Word and my presentation of the Scriptures each Sunday morning. Keeping in mind the Jewish culture, idioms, history of the time and the background of the speaker or writer, as well as the audience, consumes a portion of my preparation. Knowing that Paul was a practicing Jewish Rabbi and a pharisee writing to his disciple, Timotheos, who was likewise a practicing Jew, both faithful to Torah and Jewish tradition, may well place Paul's correspondence in a different light. Our tendency to look at Scripture as if it was written to Americans with no thought to the original culture and history may rob us of the richness of the text. We may even create difficulties in interpretation that can be resolved if the context of the culture and history are considered. However, this is a unintended rabbit trail. My real point goes back to the psychology thing.

In my college days I was treated, exposed and, perhaps, mildly infected with the works of such psychologists as Pavlov, Skinner, Harlow and others whose investigations into behavioral psychology were a hot topic back in the 70's. They were interesting and required reads at the time. The question of nurture and environment verses a growing interest in the genetic links to behavior stirred controversy within the academic community. These became woven into cultural anthropology as one sought to understand how societies functioned and passed on traditions and variations of cultural norms. The concept of "stimulus and response" became a tool to evaluate how and why people did what they did. Pavlov's accidental discovery of salivating dogs became his claim to fame, as it were, and it has been copied and used as a foundation for a significant part of behavioral psychology. If you are not familiar, Pavlov noticed that when he fed his test subject dogs they began to salivate at the presence of his lab assistants even before the bowl of meat powder arrived. The very sight of the lab assistants generated a response. The lab assistants were replaced with a bell or a flashing light, creating the same response. The dogs associated the bell or light with food and began to drool before the food got there. 

The experiment was rehashed in a number of variations. Each time, without any intent by the subject, a response was triggered by stimulus. Positive reinforcement could encourage or alter a behavior. We have been borrowing this for years. "Make your bed and you get a quarter". The child will begin to make their bed automatically, at least as long as the quarters keep coming. The positive behavior will eventually become a response in the expectation of the reward; even if the reward discontinues the behavior will persist. This may wane if the reward is withheld for a period of time. Negative reinforcement was found to be more powerful. A light comes on and voltage passes through the floor of the rat's cage. He jumps on the wooden shelf to avoid the shock. After short amount of time the light comes on and the rat is on the shelf. You can discontinue the shock treatment, however, the rat will be on the shelf every time the light comes on. It will take a long time before the rat will test the floor to see if the shock still occurs. I am not suggesting you tag your child with a cattle prod every time their bed is not made; however, hanging the cattle  prod just outside their bedroom door will likely result in a made bed for quite some time to come. The simple reality is, you can control people's behavior with either a positive or negative reinforcement.

Pavlov's findings have taken on an experiment on a grand scale. A national, perhaps even international, scale. My point is not to promote one opinion or another, but, perhaps we need to think about the bigger picture. "Masks probably do not help", "Masks might be helpful", "Wear a mask to flatten the curve", "Wear a mask to help protect yourself if you are vulnerable", "Wear a mask or you will die",  "Wear a mask or you will kill others", "Wear a mask or you cannot shop". "Wear a mask or get arrested and fined". So we wear a mask. For some it is an inconvenience. For some it is assumed this will pass. For some it is life threatening due to anxiety, PTSD, or respiratory problems. However, for many, it is now a necessity. A matter of life or death. The message to provide the negative stimulus has taken hold. When the light comes on, the threat of the upcoming shock has them grab their mask. The desired result of controlling the subject has been realized. The negatively reinforced message has been ingrained and the poor little mouse will jump on the mask shelf in fear and never be able to know if it is safe again. The experiment to see if control can be achieved through fear has been a success. Now we can introduce new control factors. "The vaccine is there if you want it", "The vaccine is there for the vulnerable", "The vaccine will keep you safe" "If you refuse the vaccine you will kill others", "The vaccine is required by law", "You cannot shop without proof of the vaccine", "It matters not if you have recovered from covid19, the vaccine is required". "We can provide your children with a curriculum", ""We require that your children use this curriculum", "Your children will not be able to go to college or get a job unless they complete this curriculum", "If you do not comply, we will take your children." 

Far fetched? Just check out the history of so many countries that responded to the government's "provision" and "protection". Social utopia has a cost. Just your freedom and your rights. Government knows best. Hear their bell? Put on the mask. Pavlov would be so proud.