4) Animal Social Learning

Question 1

What is this term known as:
Learning that is influenced by observation of, or interaction with, another animal.
Requires an observer and a demonstrator.
To qualify as learning rather than socially elicited or facilitated behaviour, the observer’s performance must take place at a later time, away from the direct influence of the demonstrator.

Answer 1

Social Learning

Question 2

What is this term known as:
Increase in behaviour due to presence of others performing that behaviour (e.g., humans yawning, budgerigars stretching, migration of sea turtle hatchlings,)
Also herd behaviour which reduces their chance of being captured by a preditor.

Answer 2

Social facilitation

Question 2

What is this term known as:
Increase in tendency to interact with object because of presence/actions of others.

Answer 2

Stimulus enhancement

Question 2

What is this term known as:
Increase in tendency to approach location because of presence/actions of others.

Answer 2

Local enhancement

Question 2

What is this term known as:
Learning about what can be done with objects or the environment – not necessary to have observed from another.

Answer 2

Affordance learning

Question 3

Name processes where social learning can occur:

Answer 3

Food preferences
Fear of predators

Question 3

Findings of Social learning of Fear for Monkeys fear of snakes
(via Observational conditioning) can be explained by which type of conditioning?

Answer 3

Results can be explained via Classical Conditioning

Question 3

Social learning of Food preferences: Rodents
Preferences are quicker and less risky than trial and error

Mice ate cinnamon or cocoa flavoured food
Then placed in a cage with another mouse
24 hrs later observer given a choice of food

Results showed:

Answer 3

Observer mice ate more of the cued food than novel food
Amount consumed correlated with number of sniffs

-These food preferences can be passed through generations

Question 3

Social learning of Fear of predators:
Monkeys fear of snakes (via Observational conditioning)

Observer = Laboratory-reared
Demonstrater = Wild-reared monkey’s reactions to a real snake (boa constrictor),
a model snake,
and a toy snake

What were the findings ater the observation?

Answer 3

The Observer monkeys displayed more avoidance and fear behaviours than before the observation of all O’s even in follow up.

Question 4

Copying:
What is the copying another’s behavior exactly to reach the same goal (capable of social traditions = culture)?

Answer 4

Imitation

Question 4

Types of learning depends on the type of stimuli. It is easy to learn about some stimuli more than others especially for fear. What is this known as?

Answer 4

Preparedness Theory

Question 4

Which 2 things is involved with copying?

Answer 4

Imitation
Emulation

Question 5

Which tasks are known to investigate imitation?

Answer 5

The Bidirectional task
Conclusion: Response-reinforcer learning occurs via social means

Two-action procedure

Question 5

Copying:
What is the process of exact actions not being reproduced by observer but still aiming for the same goal (or actions are reproduced but for a different goal)?

Answer 5

Emulation

Question 6

Two-action procedure: Atkins and Zentall (1996)
Trained Japanese quail to manipulate a treadle for a food reward
Peck with beak or step with foot

Findings?

Answer 6

Observers made more responses with the same part of their body as used by the demonstrator
ie- those who observed pecking, made more pecking responses

Also quail more likely to copy behaviour if they observed the demonstrator get a REWARD

Not stimulus enhancement

Question 7

Chimpanzees & children

Chimpanzees and young human children shown demonstrations of how to open a puzzle box

Demonstrations included unnecessary behaviours

When box was opaque (blocked), chimpanzees and children imitate the sequence (using imitation)

When box was transparent (see-through), which group imitated?

Answer 7

Only children imitated.

However, chimpanzees didn’t perform the unnecessary behaviours (emulation).

Question 8

The copying of irrelevant actions is known as?

Answer 8

Overimitation

Question 9

Overimitation in dogs shows dogs performed irrelevant actions more when who was the demonstrator?

Answer 9

The owner
-Showing it depends on the relationship they have with the demonstrator

Question 10

What is this term known as:
One animal modifies its behaviour to benefit another

T must modify its behaviour in the presence of naïve observer.
There is a cost to the T (or no immediate benefit).
The pupil acquires knowledge or learns a skill earlier faster or more efficiently than it otherwise would have/not learned at all.

Answer 10

Teaching

Question 11

Ants:
Research has found that ants show naïve ants where food is located

How do the teachers modify their behaviour?
Cost?
Pupil learns skills?

Answer 11

Teacher modifies behaviour: runs slowly

Cost to teacher: runs are much slower (x4 slower)

Pupil learns skills: route is learned (but need more direct evidence)

Question 11

Look at meerkats photo