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Idiothetic literally means "self-proposition" (Greek derivation), and is used in navigation models (e.g., of a rat in a maze) to describe the use of self-motion cues,[1] rather than allothetic, or external, cues such as landmarks, to determine position and movement.[2] The word is sometimes also spelled "ideothetic" (e.g., Chen et al, 1994 [3]). Idiothetic cues include vestibular, optic flow and proprioception. Idiothetic cues are important for the type of navigation known as path integration[4][5] in which subjects navigate purely using such self-motion cues. This is achieved by an animal through the signals generated by angular and linear accelerations in the course of its exploration.[6] This information generates and updates a vector towards the starting point and an accurate path for return.[6]
The term idiothetic is also used in robotics[7] and in personality psychology. Idiothetic psychology of personality suggests that personality description follows idiographic principles, while personality development centres around nomothetic principles.[8] Idiothetic-based psychological theories include James Lamiell's Critical Personalism model, George Kelly's Role Repertory Test,[9] and the narrative approaches that focus on the impact of life stories.
