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In the ‘thirties it did not seem to us that there was any way’ of studying behaviour ‘scientifically’ except through some kind of experimental intervention … Even poking an animal would surely be better than just looking at it: that would lead to anecdotalism: that was what bird-watchers did.
Yet it was also what the pioneers of ethology did. They studied natural behaviour instead of contrived behaviour, and were thus able for the first time to discern natural behaviour structures or episodes …
So far in this exposition pride of place is given to behavioural systems that, in controlling behaviour, are structured to take account of discrepancies between initial instruction and the effects of current performance, a comparison made possible by means of feedback: to such systems only is the term goal-directed, or better, goal-corrected, applied. The reason for this pride of place is twofold. First, it is evident that a great deal of behaviour, especially in man, is governed by systems having these properties, and secondly, it is the elucidation of the principles underlying these systems that has led to a revolution in the biological sciences. It would, however, be a mistake to suppose that all behavioural systems are of this degree of sophistication. Some are very much simpler; and there are advantages in giving these others attention before considering further the mode of action of the goal-corrected ones.
One of the simpler types of system and one to which much attention has been paid by ethologists is the type that governs a Fixed Action Pattern. This is a structured pattern of movement which, though different examples differ in their degree of complexity, is not unlike a reflex. In one respect, however,