Conditioniing

Scientists have been using various conditioning methods in hundreds of experiments to learn more about human behavior. These scientists can use any number of different conditioning techniques including classical conditioning (Pavlovian or respondent conditioning), where a person learns from having pre-existing reflexes brought out by new stimuli, and operant conditioning, where learning is done from the consequences of a certain action. A well known example of a past experiment using classical conditioning is Pavlov's dog experiment, where Pavlov conditioned dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell. An example of operant conditioning would be the classic experiment of a rat and a button where if the rat pushed a certain button he would get positive reinforcement (an award). In this student's experiment, he will use both operant and classical conditioning on his subjects in order to yield the results wanted.

The experiment involves using operant and classical conditioning on subjects while attempting to make them tougher and stronger than an average person. The student expects that by completing the experiment properly and following the procedure he will find that he can indeed create a "super-human" using conditioning as the catalyst. The student expects to find the subjects' reflexes, strength, stamina and problem solving much higher than an average person. The student believes that he will first begin to see improvement in his subjects' in only one week, and expects to complete the experiment in just over a year.

The 25 people participating in the experiment will be randomly selected from an age group of 8-14 whose legal guardians have signed a consent form to have their child experimented on. The control group will also be selected at random from the same age group and with parental or guardian consent. It is imperative that the control group and the test subjects be of the same age due to the need to compare and contrast between groups. Subjects with disabilities and certain medical problems (Asthma, schizophrenia, neurosis, etc.) will not be allowed to participate in the experiment and will be sent home.

The experiment will be conducted in the Galen Macpherson Research Facility in Palm Bay, Florida because of the facilities cutting edge and top notch technology. Materials and funding needed for the experiment will all be supplied by the research facility's founder, Galen Macpherson. Galen will be donating the use of his facility, $20, 000 for each test subject and will be providing the following supplies: 25 premium steel enforced bear cages, 20 three million candle power flood lights, an obstacle course, 150 build-it-yourself booby traps, the facility's exercise room, the facility's library, 25 stop watch timers, 5 scales, 5 rolls of measuring tape, paper, pencils, and 5 trained attack dogs. Food and water will also be provided to the participants for the entire amount of time spent experimenting.

The experiment will consist of constant interaction with participants, spare 6 hours a day for rest and relaxation. The test subjects will be primarily living in separated bear cages and will not be able to communicate unless when attempting to complete team exercises. All participants will, from time to time, be surprised with minor pain inflicting mechanisms which is meant to result in the test subjects becoming more agile, having a heightened sense of awareness, and hopefully vastly improving reflexes. The participants will be expected to do daily training in which one will read at the library, exercise, and finish all expected tasks. All subjects will be rewarded for enhancing strength, increasing problem solving skills, passing written and verbal tests, winning team challenges, completing challenges involving the obstacle course, and winning individual challenges. The participants will be punished for any disobedience, failing to increase muscle mass,