WHAT ARE BEHAVIOR SYSTEMS AND WHAT USE ARE THEY - COMMENTARY

The contributions of this symposium on behavior systems are summarized and evaluated by considering two questions: (1) What is a behavior sy stem? (2) What use to the learning theorist are behavior systems? Two examples of behavior systems from the classical ethological literature are compared with the behavior systems discussed in the symposium, an d some similarities and differences in the type of analyses used are d iscussed. Analysis of the preorganized species-typical behavior system s relevant to the unconditioned stimuli or reinforcers in learning exp eriments can contribute performance rules and better understanding of the conditions and contents of learning. The organization of behavior systems can also provide important clues to the neural circuitry under lying behavior, and a behavior systems approach can raise novel questi ons concerning learning and behavioral development. Possible future di rections for the behavior systems approach are briefly discussed.