Animal Behaviour Flashcards
1
Q
Ethology:
A
-the study of animal behaviors, which
are inherited (innate), or learned.
2
Q
Inherited Behaviors include:
A
1) instincts
2) Reflexes
3) Fixed Action Patterns
4) imprinting
3
Q
Instincts
A
- innate behaviors that occur without
thought. eg: birds undergoing migration in
response to seasonal changes.
4
Q
Reflexes
A
-are involuntary rapid responses to a
stimulus. Reflex arcs are controlled by a neural
circuit. There are 2 types: 1) Simple Reflexes and 2) Complex reflexes
5
Q
Simple reflexes
A
- are most rapid. An afferent sensory neuron travels from stimulus to central nervous system and synapses on efferent motor neurons, which travel from central nervous system to muscle.
6
Q
Complex reflexes
A
- are slower because peripheral nerves are separated by an interneuron.
7
Q
Fixed Action Patterns
A
- are hardwired actions initiated by a specific stimulus (releaser or sign stimuli) and are considered the simplest form of an instinct. Once initiated, they will continue to completion even if the stimulus is removed during
the behavior. Leads to predictable and appropriate behaviors that do not need to be learned. (ex: goose rolling egg back into nest, male insects attacking red bellied males). Fixed action patterns are not flexible or adaptable.
8
Q
Imprinting:
A
- an innate way that animals learn
behaviors that will never be forgotten. Occurs
during the critical period or critical imprinting
stage (eg: ducklings treating a moving object as
their mother & following it).
9
Q
Learned behaviors
A
- increase an animal’s fitness,
allowing it to adapt to unexpected events. - includes:
1) Classical Conditioning
2) operant conditioning
3) Associative learning
4) Non-associative learning
10
Q
Classical conditioning:
A
- pairing a neutral stimulus (elicits no physiological response) to an unconditioned stimulus (naturally elicits a physiological response - unconditioned response). This conditions the unconditioned response to be mentally paired with a neutral stimulus (becomes a conditioned stimulus)
resulting in a conditioned response. - includes:
1) stimulus generalization
2) stimulus discrimination
11
Q
Stimulus generalization:
A
- a conditioned animal responds to stimuli not identical to the original conditioned stimulus. The more a stimulus differs from the original conditioned stimulus, the smaller the conditioned response (stimulus generalization gradient).
12
Q
Stimulus discrimination
A
- differentiation between a conditioned stimulus and other
similar, but different, non-conditioned stimuli.
13
Q
Operant conditioning:
A
- learning to associate a behavior with a reward (increases behavior) or a
punishment (decreases behavior). - BF Skinners box
1) Positive punishment - add something bad to decrease behaviors
2) negative punishment - take away something good to decrease behaviour
3) Positive reinforcements - add something good to increase behaviour
4) negative reinforcement - take away something bad to increase behaviour
14
Q
Associative Learning:
A
- learning that two things are connected to each other. Increases stimulus
response efficiency. Can be forgotten (extinction) or remembered via re-association (recovery) - includes:
1) spatial learning
2) spontaneous recovery
3) observational learning
4) insight
15
Q
Spatial learning:
A
- associating a response with a specific location.
16
Q
Spontaneous recovery
A
- occurs when a stimulus is absent for a period of time and
reintroduced, allowing the behavior to occur.
17
Q
Observational learning
A
- : learning by watching another animal perform the same behavior.The animal learns without reinforcement and increases efficiency.
18
Q
Insight:
A
- learning in a new situation. No reinforcement required.
19
Q
Non-associative Learning
A
- occurs when you are not associating a stimulus with a behavior. There
are two types: 1) Sensitization and 2) habituation
