Movement Through Space and Spatially Organized Behavior

Abstract

A renewed interest in the concept of cognitive maps (Tolman, 1948) has been stimulated by recent behavioral and neuropsychological research (Stahl & Ellen, 1973, 1974; O’Keefe & Nadel, 1978). Of particular interest is the question of how cognitive spatial maps are acquired (Olton, 1977). The literature suggests that movement through space is crucial for efficient performance by organisms on spatial tasks which require the establishment of an hypothesized “cognitive map,” or “orienting schema” (Neisser, 1976). Our research with the Maier 3-table spatial problem demonstrated that exploration of the entire apparatus was necessary for rats to solve the problem (Stahl & Ellen, 1974). Exploration of only portions of the apparatus is not sufficient (Ellen, Soteres & Wages, 1984). A clarification of the role of movement and exploration in spatially organized behavior would advance significantly our understanding of cognitive processes. Thus, the experiments reported here were designed to determine whether active exploration or merely passive movement through space is necessary for solving the Maier 3-table spatial problem.