Tolman's research on rats in mazes showed that animals can learn a skill or information that is not apparent until later, when that learning becomes necessary. this is known as learning.

Latent Learning

Tolman worked on latent learning, this is learning which is not obvious in the learner's behavior at the time of learning, but which shows later when a proper motivation and situation appear. Tomlan was not the first to study latent learning but he developed further.