VISUALLY CONTROLLED LOCOMOTION AND VISUAL ORIENTATION IN ANIMALS*

TLDR

Locomotor behavior is mainly driven by optical stimulation, requiring new assumptions about object perception and visual kinaesthesia. The paper presents a general theory linking locomotor behavior to physical objects and discusses its implications for maze learning. Evidence supports the theory that animals orient visually to environmental surfaces, explaining their apparent space perception.

Abstract

A general theory of locomotor behaviour in relation to physical objects is presented. Since the controlling stimulation for such behaviour is mainly optical, this involves novel assumptions about object perception and about what is called ‘visual kinaesthesis’. Evidence for these assumptions is cited. On the basis of this theory it is possible to suppose that animals are visually oriented to the surfaces of their environment, not merely to light as such. In short, it is possible to explain why they seem to have space perception. Implications of this approach for maze‐learning are pointed out.