VI 



, HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL DISCUSSION OF IDEATIONAL 

 BEHAVIOR IN MONKEYS AND APES 



It is my purpose in this section to indicate the relations of 

 my work on monkeys and apes to that of other investigators. 



Although throughout the report I have used freely the psy- 

 chological terms idea and ideation, it has been my aim to describe 

 the behavior of my animals rather than to interpret it or 

 speculate concerning its accompaniments. Certain acts I have 

 designated as ideational simply because they seemed to exhibit 

 the essential features of what we call ideational behavior in man. 

 Further study may, and probably will, modify my opinion 

 concerning this matter. It is of prime importance to analyze 

 ideational behavior so that it may be accurately described 

 and satisfactorily defined in terms of its distinguishing charac- 

 teristics. I had hoped to be able to present a tentative 

 analysis in this report, but the results of my efforts are so 

 unsatisfactory that I do not feel justified in publishing them. 



The terms idea and ideation have been used to designate 

 contents of consciousness which are primarily representative. 

 Nowhere have I attempted to indicate different types or grades 

 of ideational behavior and nowhere have I found it necessary 

 to emphasize differences between image and idea. In general, 

 the acts which I have called ideational have been highly adap- 

 tive, and the learning processes in connection with which they 

 have appeared have differed strikingly from those of the selec- 

 tive sort in their abruptness of appearance. 



Extremely interesting and valuable definitions of ideation and 

 discussions of the characteristics of different sorts of ideas in 

 the light of original observations on monkeys have been pre- 

 sented by Thomdike (1901, pp. 1, 2; 1911, p. 174); Kinnaman 

 (1902, p. 200); and Hobhouse (1915, p. 270). As these authors 

 have contributed importantly to our knowledge of the behavior 

 of monkeys, their discussions of the meaning of terms are especi- 

 ally valuable. Serviceable definitions are to be found, also, in 



