THE ASSOCIATION CENTERS 237 



be facilitated by the cortex. On the other hand, the 

 central analysis of a situation such that overt trials 

 may be eliminated and the animal attacks the crucial 

 element of the problem directly, identifying the key 

 to the lock without aimless fumbling — this sort of be- 

 havior is clearly dependent upon a type of cortical or- 

 ganization with which the rat is very poorly endowed. 



With the elaboration of cortical associational tis- 

 sue emancipated from direct domination by some par- 

 ticular subcortical sensori-motor systems (as all pro- 

 jection and primitive associational centers are), 

 mechanism is available for the recombination of in- 

 nate or habitual behavior patterns in hitherto unex- 

 perienced ways with facility and dispatch. As has 

 been happily said, the animal now exhibits "insight" 

 as contrasted with "at-sight"; he not merely looks at 

 the problem, he looks through it to the solution. 



The earliest appearance of this sort of behavior in 

 the animal series has not been identified. In fact, the 

 designation of any such point in psychogenesis would 

 necessarily be arbitrary; for this insight is not a new 

 and unique function. It represents merely the trans- 

 fer of more and more of the factors of behavior from 

 the overt and explicit to the introvert or implicit 

 bodily mechanisms. And the associational tissue of 

 the cerebral cortex is unmistakably the chief ap- 

 paratus employed. 



Anyone who has lived on terms of intimacy and 

 cordial friendship with a good dog will be inclined to 



