vacuum activity

Readers of Konrad Lorenz's fascinating books on the subject will remember his discussion of what he calls a "vacuum activity." A vacuum activity is instinctual behavior that occurs when an animal, deprived of its normal surroundings and objects, nevertheless "goes through the motions" of some activity typical of its species.

I wonder whether the intriguing concept of a vacuum activity sheds some light on the relevant work of Mr.

I suspect he might discover some useful extensions to his idea of a vacuum activity. Is there, for example, such a thing as a half-vacuum activity--just a bit of air hissing in--in which, for example, a dog has a bone but no dirt, or an architect builds a house that turns out to be uninhabitable?