What concept suggests that animals have mental maps of physical spaces?

The concept that suggests animals have mental maps of physical spaces is known as cognitive maps. This term refers to the internal representations that organisms create to navigate and understand their environment. Cognitive maps allow animals to visualize the relationships between different locations and help them plan routes, find food, and avoid dangers.

Research has shown that many species, from rodents to birds, can form these mental maps based on their experiences and the spatial information they gather from their surroundings. This ability to mentally represent space is crucial for survival, as it enables animals to remember where resources are located and how to return to familiar areas.

This concept stands distinct from the other options. Variable reinforcement involves the unpredictability of rewards during learning, which affects behavior but does not pertain to spatial understanding. Instinctual drift refers to the tendency of learned behaviors to revert to instinctual behaviors, and fixed-action patterns are specific, unlearned behaviors triggered by particular stimuli. Neither of these concepts addresses the mental representation of space, making cognitive maps the correct choice for this question.