Behavior Flashcards
what are one of the few monogamous mammals?
prairie voles
proximate causes are characterized by
biochemical changes in the body and brain
ultimate cause are characterized by…
the genetic reasoning that resulted in a specific biochemical signal
describe the proximate cause as to why prairie voles are monogamous mammals.
due to vasopressin hormone and brain receptors in the ventral pallium
describe the ultimate cause as to why prairie voles are monogamous mammals.
monogamous voles have shown to have higher number of offspring thus increasing their fitness
innate behavior is preformed
the same way by all members of a species
a fixed action pattern (FAP) is a
unchangeable series of actions triggered by a specific stimulus
fixed action patters ensure that
activities essential to survival are preformed correctly without practice
what has been used to investigate genes that influence behavior?
genetic engineering
what type of experiments are useful for studying environmental factors that affect behavior?
cross-fostering experiments
learning is a modification of
behavior as a result of specific experiences
what are the 6 types of learning?
- habituation
- imprinting
- spatial learning
- associative learning
- social learning
- problem solving
in habituation an animal learn not to
respond to a repeated stimulus that conveys little to no information
imprinting is learning that is limited to
a specific time period and is irreversible
define sensitive period
the limited phase in an animal’s development when it can learn certain behaviors
examples of imprinting include
- young bird identifying its parents
- song development in birds
artificial incubation in captivity is successful in saving endangered species. however, offspring may not learn appropriate behaviors if…
there are no parents as models for imprinting
define kinesis
a random movement in response to a stimulus
define a taxis
a response directed toward or away from a stimulus
define spatial learning
animals’ establishment of memories of landmarks in their environment that indicate the location of:
- food
- nests
- mates
- potential hazards
define migration
the regular back-and-forth movement of animals between two geographical areas
migratory animals use ______ ___ to move between areas.
external cues
gray whales use what to migrate?
topography of the ocean floor
sea turtles use what to migrate?
magnetic cues
define associative learning
the ability to associate one environmental feature with another
describe the 2 types of associative learning
-linking a particular stimulus to a particular outcome
-trial-and-error learning
associating one of its behaviors with a positive or negative effect
define cognition
the process of perceiving, storing, integrating, and using information
problem-solving behavior involves..
complex cognitive processes
problem-solving behavior is highly developed in
dolphins, primates, and some birds
