Exploratory Behavior or Curiosity
As mentioned in Three/IV/3, stimulus selection through learning occurs much more frequently and in a greater number of organisms than does the selection of behavior patterns. Only in species with a very highly differentiated central nervous system, and ev
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Exploratory Behavior or Curiosity
1. Choice of Behavior Patterns As mentioned in Three/IV /3, stimulus selection through learning occurs much more frequently and in a greater number of organisms than does the selection of behavior patterns. Only in species with a very highly differentiated central nervous system, and even among these only in situations of utmost stress (Three/IV/6), does the animal perform a great number of behavior patterns in order to select the one that affords relief. Under normal circumstances, only within the context of exploratory behavior do we find learning processes agreeing strictly with a behaviorist's concept of operational conditioning or learning of the type R. Exploratory behavior must not be equated with any other process that attains its teleonomic function by means of trial and error. This method is used by many other learning mechanisms, for instance, when an animal chooses the right object for one of its fixed motor patterns, as was illustrated in Three/IV /3 with the example of corvine birds learning to select the "correct" material for nest building. In this case the learning process is wholly motivated by the appetite for one special fixed motor pattern; the fixed motor pattern is unconditionally predetermined; only the stimulus situation is selected through learning. Even in the classic puzzle box experiments conducted with cats, the animal does not go through its entire repertory of behavior patterns, but tries only a comparatively small number of them related to one another to the extent that all of them can serve the removal of solid obstacles. The cat scratches at the walls, bites at the bars, or wedges its head into any cleft that might provide a way out. What is so unique about genuine exploratory behavior is that the animal really tends to direct at the object of its curiosity practically all of the K. Z. Lorenz, The Foundations of Ethology © Springer Science+Business Media New York 1981
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VI. Exploratory Behavior or Curiosity
behavior patterns it has at its disposal. A young raven (Corvus corax) confronted with an entirely new and unknown object treats it to a phyletically programmed sequence of behavior patterns whose functions are extremely varied. Caution being the better part of valor, the raven begins its exploration of an unknown object by treating it as if it were a dangerous predator, that is, something to be mobbed. The raven approaches the object edging sideways and even backward, crouched in preparation for flying off, delivers a very strong peck at it, and immediately, incontinently flees as fast as it can. If the object then follows in pursuit, the bird will try to get behind it and attack it from the rear; this develops frequently into the typical behavior patterns of mobbing a large predator. If, instead, the object flees, the raven takes up the pursuit immediately, delivering peck after peck and proceeding, if possible, to the motor patterns for killing large prey, that is, gripping the object with both feet and hammering fearful blows upon it
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