Animal Learning Flashcards
Learning
an enduring change in mechanisms of behavior that result from experience and environmental events
Performance
change in behavior based on opportunity and motivation
Functional definition of Learning
a process that allows animals to adjust to their environment through individual experience
Phenotype plasticity
the ability of an organism to produce different phenotypes depending on the environment
Non-associative learning
reactions to stimulus events in the environment
Taxis
reflexive locomotion and orientation to a stimulus
Phototaxis
orient to light
Geotaxis
orient to spatial/physical position
Fixed Action Patterns
species specific stereotypical response
What are the 2 types of non-associative learning?
Habituation & Sensitization
Habituation
decrease in responsiveness after repeated exposure to a stimulus
Sensitization
increase in responsiveness after repeated exposure to a stimulus
_________ predominates with strong stimulus and _________ predominates with weak stimulus.
Sensitization
Habituation
Classical Conditioning
associative learning of stimuli and stimulus responses
What are the 2 types of classical conditioning?
- Appetitive learning
2. Aversive learning
Appetitive Learning
unconditioned stimulus is pleasant
Aversive Learning
unconditioned stimulus is unpleasant
Excitatory conditioning
the presence of one stimuli is followed by another
Inhibitory conditioning
the presence of one stimuli is not followed by another
What law was the first attempt to explain reinforcement?
Thorndike’s Law of Effect
Reinforcer
a stimulus that produces a “satisfying state of affairs”
The Law of Effect establishes an association between the ______ and the ________ in the presence of which the _________ is performed.
- response
- stimulus
- response
Clark Hull Drive Reduction Theory
proposed that what makes something an effect reinforcer is its ability to return the organism to the homeostasis point
Motivation
drive reduction brought about by a physiological need
Primary reinforcers
stimuli that are capable of reducing biological drives
Secondary reinforcers
stimuli associated with drive reduction thru classical conditioning
________ ________ proposed that the opportunity to perform a higher probability response will serve as a reinforcer for the lower probability response.
David Premack
Instinctive drift
instinctual behaviors compete with learning behaviors
What are the 2 ways that respondent conditioning influence operant behavior?
- Motivational effects
2. Response-cueing effects
Motivational effects
changing motivational support for behavior
Response-cueing effects
cues that are associated with an operant response
Divergence in learning mechanisms
demonstrated when species differences in learning phenomena cannot be attributed to non-learning contextual variables
Homology of learning mechanisms
demonstrated when equivalent phenomena are shown to depend on the same processes at all levels of analysis
Homoplasy of learning mechanisms
demonstrated when learning phenomena evolve independently under similar selective pressure
What are the 2 views of divergence in learning?
- Ecological
2. General process
Ecological view
learning mechanisms solve specific ecological problems
General process view
most ecological niches involves causality, space, and time
What are the 2 components of the model of evolution of learning?
- Assumptions in models
2. Environmental stability
What do low and high variability environments favor?
fixed genetic rule with low cost rate
What do medium variability environments favor?
learning over transmission of fixed genetic rule
__________ is supported by high within-life time and low between-generation predictability.
Learning
Intrinsic aggession
inherent fighting ability
Extrinsic aggression
winning and losing effects
