Chapter 7: Rat Park
The Radical Addiction Experiment
Opening Skinner's Box
Lauren Slater
Summary: Slater relates research done in the area of addiction. She first describes research where animals where caged and with doses of drugs at their reach where they on their own would press a button when they wanted to receive a doses. Alexander claimed the behavior of the animals was not due to a physical addiction, but that is more psychological since they were caged. With the help of other researchers, Alexander created a Rat Park, a "normal" environment to prove his point. In fact, the addiction of the rats decreased compared to those in the cages (even to a minimum). However, towards the end of the chapter Slater claims the Rat Park was not a "normal" environment, but a perfect one; one that humans will never be able to obtain on earth.
Discussion: I found the Rat Park idea quiet interesting, however I must agree with Slater that the Rat Park is not a normal environment at all! It was a perfect place, which does not exist for humans... If we were to live in a Rat Park - like for humans, then we would have no problems at all, our lives would be perfect! How does this relate to Computer Science? Well maybe it is telling us that we should be realistic, develop our technology to be used for the average environment, so that any user can find it effective and desirable, and not just wonder how perfect it would be if...!
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