8.6 Learning and memory

Question 1

Habituation

Answer 1

In this form of learning an animal
responds less and less to a repeated stimulus.
For example, a sea slug withdraws its gill when
stimulated by a jet of water. After several
minutes of repeated stimulation, the gill no
longer withdraws.

Question 2

Animal rights

Answer 2

If you believe in animal rights
you believe that there are things that should not
be done to certain animals (especially those
capable of feeling pain) whatever the benefits.
For example, you might believe that it is never
right to keep animals in captivity (just as it isn’t
right to keep humans in captivity) whether for
food, for research or as pets.

Question 3

Animal welfare

Answer 3

An animal’s welfare is a measure
of how it feels. Animals that are capable of
suffering, such as birds and mammals, may
have a low level of welfare if, for example, they
are hungry, thirsty, overcrowded, diseased or
prevented from exhibiting normal behaviours
such as moving around or nest building.

Question 4

Utilitarianism

Answer 4

The ethical framework that holds
that the right course of action is that which
maximises the amount of happiness or other
good in the world. If you are a utilitarian it
means that while you might, for example,
normally tell the truth, there could be occasions
when you would believe that the right thing to
do would be to lie (provided you can lie
convincingly!).