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Visually controlled locomotion and visual orientation in animals
Author(s) -
Gibson James J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1348/000712608x336077
Subject(s) - psychology , perception , orientation (vector space) , cognitive psychology , visual perception , object (grammar) , space (punctuation) , communication , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , computer science , geometry , mathematics , operating system
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.