Idiothetic

Idiothetic literally means "self-proposition" (Greek derivation), and is used in navigation models (e.g., of a rat in a maze) as in the phrase "idiothetic cues" to indicate that path integration[1][2] was used to determine the present location instead of allothetic, or external, cues (e.g., visual or tactile).

The term idiothetic is also used in psychology to describe what distinguishes members of a species from one another and is contrasted with nomothetic.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mittelstaedt, H. and Mittelstaedt, M.-L. (1973). "Mechanismen der orientierung ohne richtende aussenreize." Fortschr. Zool. 21:46–58.
  2. ↑ Mittelstaedt, M.-L. and Mittelstaedt, H. (1980). "Homing by path integration in a mammal." Naturwissenschaften 67:566–567.