Pavlov and the Book

[Tom Stanton]

kellner at ccwf.cc.utexas.edu wrote:
> ... Matson writes: "Although Pavlov himself
> cautiously refrained from drawing psychological deductions from his animal
> researches, his findings were seized upon by experimental psychologists,
> most of all in America, as the long-awaited key to a truly rigorous
> science of behavior" (p. 38).

Not an expert, but it appears TRP is making liberal use of Pavlov
because B.F. Skinner's work on behavioralism doesn't really become
current until after WW2. In the "GR Companion" Weisenburger sez The
Book is "Conditioned Reflexes" & calls the rotation among Pavlovians
melodramatic. I think the conspiritorial passing of The Book makes a
backhanded point that the Pavlovians worship arcana just like the 
spiritualist in the previous section.

...Random Thoughts:

Thinking back over the past 4 sections I noticed an intersting pattern
regarding human behavior: fantasy (Pirate), paranoia (Slothrop), mysti-
cism (Jessica), "love" (Mexico), and ,now, behavioralism (Pointsman).
If indeed Pirate has Slothrop fantasies, it appears Roger/Jess are
having
Pirate's fantasies. Slothrop's busy love life is the inverse of Pirate's
lack of any love. What ties it together? Death (mysticism) and science
(behavioralism). Nice set up..

On re-read, I was also struck by Jessica's dart game at the seance.
Wonderful counterpoint on rockets & statistical improbibility (a 
bullseye on the first throw). Tasty touches.