Variability and getting ‘wrong’, right.
The least studied topic in training and behavior is variability. The major focus of training is to create a repertoire according to a template for excellence. Deviation from that template is called an error. This misses the point of the fundamental aspects of learning. To learn, one must offer a deviation from former behavior. Without deviation there is no learning. The cause of deviation is innate variability. This ability is critical for survival because the environment is dynamic. One-trick-ponies die out if their trick stops working. Variability insures that an animal can adapt to changing circumstances. This leads to a simple point. What constitutes an error in one setting may be the solution in another. If you punish the deviation as an error, you may unintentionally block its use elsewhere. The better option is to learn how to invoke or inhibit deviation in both learning and performance.
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