Since species with more complex nervous systems can develop more complex behavioral repertoires in specific situations, they will tend to show relatively less reliance on genetically determined behavior in those situations. The obvious conclusion is that we as human beings are going to have relatively high experiential load as a factor in lots of situations given our capacity to develop, through experience, very complex patterns of behavior. This makes our behavior, relatively speaking, less reliant on genetically determined behavior. Experiential load is a way of bringing our past history in a particular environment into the equation. Since it factors in neural capacity, it is a little more robust concept.
Experiential load can account for individual differences as well.
Those born with a particualr talent, such as music, would have a greater capacity for it, so they would, relatively speaking, have a greater experiential load. Recall our conversation about courtship patterns . Because they have really tiny little fish brains, they have little capacity for experiential load. Put a stickleback in a courtship situation, and every time it will do it the same way, whether it works or not. Not just once, but every time you do it.