# Terminological reflections of reference conditions

**URL:** http://discourse.iapct.org/t/terminological-reflections-of-reference-conditions/11115
**Category:** CSG1993
**Created:** [September 27, 1993, 2:17am UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/terminological-reflections-of-reference-conditions/11115 "1993-09-27T02:17:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Kenneth\_L\_Hacker\_Ph](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kenneth\_L\_Hacker\_Ph](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Kenneth_L_Hacker_Ph)
#### Post date: [September 27, 1993, 2:17am UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/terminological-reflections-of-reference-conditions/11115/1 "1993-09-27T02:17:13Z")

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> From Ken Hacker [930926]

Bill Powers (930926) --

Thank you for clarifying the semantic tangle of the terms goal, intention,  
purpose, etc. etc. I get the following from what you said: The words  
goal, intent, and purpose all refer to reference conditions. The next  
question is whether there are any human behaviors or actions (two more  
good terminological weeds) which are not related to reference signals. If  
there are not, then it seems that all human behavior is related to some  
purpose at some level of organization. For example, I may be standing at  
the lawn mower to mow grass, to look busy, or wondering what I am supposed  
to do with the machine. In the last case, one might conclude that my  
directionless-looking behavior has no purpose. In fact, am I not still not  
comparing perceptual signals to reference signals and hence looking baffled  
because of the results of such comparisons? Thanks again. Ken

Rick Marken (930926) --

Thanks for the point about a goal is a purpose is an intention. I think  
you are right, despite the fact that some writers are using the terms with some  
degree of semantic distinctions.  
Still, I wonder if there are any behaviors which do not related to how  
perceptual signals are compared to reference signals. When is human action  
not somehow related to control at some level? Thanks. Ken