THE GENERAL BACKGROUND . n 



alis of the butterfly is only a growth process? What is the essential 

 difference between the two? 



In so far as is possible, we shall avoid dwelling upon the aspects of 

 behavior usually called "instinctive," except in reference to the 

 literature. This is not due to a disbelief in the reality of instinctive 

 social behavior, but rather to a conviction that progress Hes in a 

 field where the elements of behavior can be more ^actly ascertained. 



The drive which leads an animal to exhibit such behavior as is 

 usually classified as being due to the operation of social instinct I 

 prefer to regard, as does Wheeler (1928), as an expression of appe- 

 tite. Wheeler says in this connection: "It thus takes its place with 

 the other appetites like hunger and sex, though it is feebler and more 

 continuous, i.e., less spasmodic and, therefore, less obvious. It is 

 most strikingly displayed, however, in the restless behavior of the 

 higher social animal when isolated from the continuous, customary 

 stimuli of its kind." From this approach, the strength of the social 

 appetite can become a subject for objective investigation, such as 

 Warner (1928a) has recently made for the relative strength of the 

 drives furnished by food or sex hunger; but such an objective 

 investigation of the general social appetite has not yet been con- 

 ducted. 



The scope of the discussion, some concepts, and a part of the ter- 

 minology having now been considered, we may plunge directly into 

 the mass of material awaiting analysis. 



