Assignment task:
Do animals and humans learn for the same reason? Yes, they do. They both learn a thing because it brings them some reward, something they want. Do animals and humans seek the same kinds of rewards? No, they don't. Animals seek immediate rewards. A pigeon, for example, can learn to peck at a red spot rather than a green one. But it will do this only if it is rewarded with a piece of grain just after it pecks at the correct spot. A monkey will pull at a lever only if it thinks that it will get a piece of candy right away. Scientists who trained rocket riding monkeys found that they had to give a pellet of food to a monkey just after it did the thing that they wanted it to do. An animal must have its reward right away. But humans are different. They can wait for their rewards. A big-league ball player will pitch until his arm is weary in order to get a chance to play in a game weeks or months away. A computer programming student will practice constantly, even though his or her first job is a long way off. Perhaps you have practiced hour after hour learning something at home or at school with nothing to show for it yet. But you have a goal in mind. You could think about the thing you finally wanted to have or to achieve. This is something an animal is not able to do. The selection implies, but does not actually state, that... A. animals seek immediate rewards B, animals can be taught to program computers C, a human being will not learn if his reward is something he can feel, hear, or taste D, an animal's reward has to be something he can see, hear, feel, or taste