Phil's Breakfast Example Inspiration
Phil's breakfast example was inspired by Agre (1988).
Two Different Kinds of Attribution
A bibliographical remark can do more than identify a source. It can tell you where an example came from, or it can direct you to another chapter for related references. Phil's breakfast example and the tic-tac-toe example illustrate these different uses. Phil's breakfast example was inspired by Agre (1988). The tic-tac-toe example used a temporal-difference method, with references for that kind of method found through the direction to Chapter 6.
| Example | Documented connection | How to use the remark |
|---|---|---|
| Phil's breakfast | Inspired by Agre (1988) | Look to Agre (1988) for the identified inspiration |
| Tic-tac-toe | Used a temporal-difference method | Follow the direction to Chapter 6 for references about that method |
The two remarks serve different purposes: one identifies inspiration, while the other points toward further references.
From Breakfast to Sub-Goals
Having breakfast appears to be one ordinary activity, but Phil's breakfast preparation is a complex web of connected actions. He must walk to the cupboard, open it, select a cereal box, reach for the box, grasp it, and retrieve it. He also needs a bowl, a spoon, and a milk jug. These actions can be understood as smaller goals that support the larger goal of having breakfast.
The hierarchy is not just a list of objects. Each smaller goal contributes to what the larger goal makes possible. Retrieving cereal, obtaining a bowl, obtaining a spoon, and obtaining a milk jug are separate goals, but together they support breakfast preparation. The example therefore shows goal-directed behavior: the significance of an action depends on the larger outcome and on the goals that remain.
Tracing What Becomes Possible
Retrieving the cereal box
Track how the cereal box changes from not yet selected to obtained.
- 1Before moving
The cereal box has not yet been selected.
- 2Walk to the cupboard
The cupboard becomes reachable.
- 3Open the cupboard
The cereal box becomes available for selection.
- 4Reach and grasp
Phil performs the actions needed to take hold of the box.
- 5Retrieve the box
The cereal has been obtained, supporting the larger breakfast goal.
Each action changes what is available for the next action. The sequence is coordinated rather than a rigid list of unrelated movements.
Eye movements help Phil obtain information and guide reaching and locomotion. Judgments about the objects and the task then help determine what action comes next. For example, walking to the cupboard makes it reachable, and opening it makes the cereal box available for selection. The next action is therefore related to the information available at that moment, not merely to a fixed sequence memorized in advance.
Conditional Carrying and Arranging
Phil's behavior is conditional because the next action depends on available information and task circumstances. The relevant question is not only which object is needed, but also what has already happened: whether an object is available to select, whether it has been reached and grasped, and how objects should be carried or arranged before continuing. Eye movements and judgments help coordinate these decisions.
How the Goals Support One Another
Obtaining a spoon and preparing cereal can be treated as separate goals, but they support the same larger goal of having breakfast. The cereal-related actions make cereal available and obtained. The spoon-related actions make another needed object available. Phil's actions are coordinated with both the objects he still needs and the information gathered from the surroundings, so progress on one sub-goal fits into the wider breakfast task.
This explains why the example should not be reduced to an object list. The important structure is the relationship between goals, actions, and changing possibilities. After one action, a new object may become reachable, selectable, graspable, or retrievable. Judgments about the remaining task help determine how Phil should proceed with the cereal, bowl, spoon, and milk jug.
Reading the Remark Correctly
Common mistake Saying that the tic-tac-toe example was inspired by Agre (1988).
What it looks likeThe learner assigns the Agre (1988) attribution to tic-tac-toe.
Why it failsThe source identifies Phil's breakfast example as inspired by Agre (1988).
Do this insteadAssociate Agre (1988) with Phil's breakfast example.
Common mistake Treating the Chapter 6 direction as the source of Phil's breakfast example.
What it looks likeThe learner reads the direction to Chapter 6 as the breakfast example's inspiration.
Why it failsThe Chapter 6 direction concerns references for the temporal-difference method used in the tic-tac-toe example.
Do this insteadUse the Agre (1988) remark for Phil's breakfast example and the Chapter 6 direction for related temporal-difference references.
Common mistake Describing breakfast preparation as one indivisible behavior.
What it looks likeThe learner says Phil simply performs one action called having breakfast.
Why it failsThe example describes connected actions involving the cupboard, cereal box, bowl, spoon, and milk jug.
Do this insteadBreak the larger goal into smaller goals and trace how each action changes what is possible next.
Common mistake Treating Phil's actions as a rigid list without information.
What it looks likeThe learner lists walking, reaching, and grasping but does not explain what each action makes possible.
Why it failsEye movements and judgments help guide reaching, locomotion, object handling, and the next decision.
Do this insteadFor every step, ask what information is available and what new action or object state becomes possible.
Check Your Understanding
A reader finds a remark saying that Phil's breakfast example was inspired by Agre (1988), while the tic-tac-toe example used a temporal-difference method with references directed to Chapter 6. Explain what each remark tells the reader. Then describe two smaller breakfast goals and explain how eye movements and judgments can affect the next action.
Hints
- Separate the example's inspiration from the direction to further references.
- Use cereal, a bowl, a spoon, or a milk jug as possible smaller goals.
- Explain what becomes available after walking, opening, reaching, grasping, or retrieving.
What do you think happens?
Which attribution should you use when looking for the documented inspiration of Phil's breakfast example?
Reveal answer
Agre (1988)
The Chapter 6 direction is associated with references for the temporal-difference method used in the tic-tac-toe example, not with the documented inspiration of Phil's breakfast example.
Key Takeaways
- 1Phil's breakfast example was inspired by Agre (1988).
- 2The tic-tac-toe example used a temporal-difference method, and the direction to Chapter 6 leads to references for that method.
- 3Breakfast preparation is a complex web of smaller goals and connected actions.
- 4Eye movements and judgments provide information that helps guide reaching, locomotion, carrying, arranging, and the next action.
- 5Each action changes what is available for later actions, allowing separate goals such as obtaining a spoon and preparing cereal to support having breakfast.
At a glance
- Agre (1988) is the documented inspiration for Phil's breakfast example.
- The tic-tac-toe example is associated with a temporal-difference method and a direction to Chapter 6 for references.
- Phil's larger breakfast goal is divided into smaller goals involving cereal, a bowl, a spoon, and a milk jug.
- Eye movements and judgments guide actions by revealing what is available and helping determine what should happen next.
- The example is best understood as coordinated, conditional behavior in which each action changes the possibilities for later actions.