IN 1911, TWO RESEARCHERS NAMED STUMPT AND PFUNGST CONDUCTED AN EXPERIMENT ON A HORSE NAMED "CLEVER HANS"( DER KLUGE HANS).
HANS WAS SUPPOSEDLY ABLE TO ADD,SUBTRACT AND SOLVE PROBLEMS INVOLVING MUSICAL HARMONY. HANS WOULD SIGNAL(TAP HIS FOOT) THE CORRECT ANSWER EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF HIS MASTER. THIS RULED OUT THE QUESTION OF FRAUD. IT WAS LATER OBSERVED THAT HANS WASN'T INTELLIGENT AT ALL! IF THE QUESTIONER DID NOT KNOW THE ANSWER, HANS COULDN'T ANSWER IT EITHER. HANS WOULD START TAPPING WHEN THE QUESTIONER MADE ANY GESTURE. EVEN THE INCLINATION OF A HEAD WAS ENOUGH FOR THE HORSE TO STOP. IN OTHER WORDS, PEOPLE WERE GIVING THE HORSE THE ANSWERS DUE TO THEIR EXPECTATIONS OF IT(VIA PHYSICAL SIGNS). WHAT EFFECT DOES THE INCIDENT DEMONSTRATE?
