Reaction to spatial novelty and exploratory strategies in baboons

Exploratory activity was examined in 4 young baboons with the aim of investigating the type of spatial coding (purely geometric and/or by taking into account the identity of the object) used for the configuration of objects. Animals were individually tested in an outdoor enclosure for their exploratory reactions (contact time and order of spontaneous visits) to changes brought about to a configuration of different objects. Two kinds of spatial changes were made: a modification (1) of the shape of the configuration (by displacement of one object) and (2) of the spatial arrangement without changing the initial shape (exchanging the location of two objects). In the second experiment, the effect of a spatial modification of the global geometry constituted by four identical objects was investigated. Finally, in the third experiment, a substitution of a familiar object with a novel one was performed without changing the objects’ configuration. The baboons strongly reacted to geometrical modifications of the configuration. In contrast, they were less sensitive to modifications of local features that did not affect the initial spatial configuration. Analyses of spontaneous exploratory activities revealed two types of exploratory strategies (cyclic and back-and-forth). These data are discussed in relation to (1) the distinction between the encoding of geometric versus local spatial features and (2) the spatial function of exploratory activity.     

The Value of Education: A Reply to Andrew Reid

Andrew Reid's essay on the value of education in this journal distinguished the intrinsic features of education from what education is for, the latter being ultimately located in the promotion of personal well-being. At a meta-ethical level, this response accepts Reid's claim about ultimate location, but challenges his view that prudential goods are desire-independent, arguing for a desire-dependent conception based on supra-individual, but not always universal-human, preferences. It also questions his claim that the source of educational value lies in the intrinsic features of education, rejecting the suggestion that epistemological rather ethical considerations should be the starting-point.