Abstract
During the last two decades, learning has been reported in several simpler invertebrates, and these findings have been criticized and attacked. Because this controversy has been both heated and prolonged, one can suspect that more is involved than differences in the facts available to different investigators. Instead, unexpressed differences in assumptions, definitions, and conceptual modes may be the basis of the controversy and confusion. Because of this possibility, it seems worthwhile to turn from attempting to answer the question, “Do simpler invertebrates learn?” and to concern ourselves with the principles involved in giving precise and scientific meaning to these and related questions.
Prepared while a NIMH Research Training Fellow at the Anatomical Institute, University of Oslo, Norway, under USPH Special Fellowship 1-F3-MH-7,346-01 (MTLH).
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Jensen, D.D. (1967). Polythetic Operationism and the Phylogeny of Learning. In: Corning, W.C., Ratner, S.C. (eds) Chemistry of Learning. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-6565-3_6
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