Volitional Behavior

Abstract

Volitional behaviors are defined and differentiated from autonomous and nonvolitional behaviors. Volitional behaviors are defined as those caused by information that has been adjusted by a central nervous system, whereas autonomous behaviors are primarily determined by genetic information and nonvolitional behaviors are mainly determined by chemical information and information in the nervous system that is not adjusted. The most easily observable volitional behaviors are, in the more complex animals, the result of the learning capability of the central nervous system.