[MUD-Dev] Killology (Was: Retention without Addiction?)

[Sasha Hart]

[apollyon]

> Much of the book details the effects of operant conditioning on
> our ability to kill another human being.

...

> But does this really come into play in an MMO?  Well, for most
> games in the MMO category I think you'd be very hard pressed to
> answer in the affirmative, but we're seeing some titles out these
> days that may start to bend a little closer to the realm of
> operant conditioning tool.

I recognize the above probably comes out of an earnest reading of
Grossman, but -

There is nothing about operant conditioning that is inherently
cruel, unnatural, or encouraging of homicide; it is not addiction,
nor is it any kind of mind control. Telling a good joke more
frequently because it made several people laugh illustrates operant
conditioning in action. So the implication behind games 'bending a
little closer to the realm of operant conditioning tool' is pretty
inflammatory.  It makes operant conditioning sound like some arcane
army technique for training killers. But it isn't. It's just our
ability to adapt to the changing values of actions, and the
techniques for changing actions that ability opens up.

Since Grossman is not exploiting any of the strengths of the
technical terms, he ought to use plain english. "Suchandsuch looks
like it encourages murder." Operant conditioning has nothing to do
with encouraging murder unless we are talking about children being
rewarded for their real, prior homicides.

Sorry to jump in here with both feet, it's just a bad kind of
confusion that, sadly, is all too common.

Sasha





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