Dictionary of Biological Psychology
LOCOMOTION to a goal in space. Animals have several navigation strategies. The strategy used depends on factors such as goal properties, landmark availability and goal distance.
BEACON HOMING entails travelling up a stimulus gradient emanating from the goal. The use of landmarks to coordinate goal-directed locomotion is called PILOTING. During DEAD RECKONING a homeward trajectory is computed from a record of the bearing, speed and length of each leg of the outbound journey. In map and compass navigation a MAP is used to estimate current position, and a compass is used to estimate orientation and to hold a course.
See also: foraging; migration; path integration; spatial behaviour
DONALD M.WILKIE
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