Behaviour and Welfare

Question 1

What causes a behaviour?

Answer 1

Depends on current state and previous experiences

Question 2

What are the two theoretical models for motivation?

Answer 2

1. Konrad Lorenz Psycho-hydraulics

2. Homeostatic feedback and control of behaviour

Question 3

What is the Konrad Lorenz Model?

Answer 3

Lavatory pan theory- Tap fills a reservoir (internal causal factor)- leaves reservoir via valve which is opened by a weight (external causal factor

Question 4

what is the Homeostatic feedback model?

Answer 4

actual value –> behaviour to bring actual value to ideal behaviour–vv
^^————————————-ideal value———————————–

Question 5

What do the theoretical models lack?

Answer 5

Don’t tell us the neural or physiological basis for specific Behaviours

Question 6

what welfare issues are likely to occur through the theoretical models?

Answer 6

1. animals are prevented from performing a motivated behaviour
2. animals are able to perform but are prevented from achieving the functional goal
3. animals are provided with the functional consequence but unable to perform to achieve it.

Question 7

What result is found when animals are restricted from performing a motivated behaviour?

Answer 7

increased motivation and frustration which is satisfied by abnormal Behaviours

Question 8

what can behaviour indicate?

Answer 8

health and welfare issues

Question 9

why is identifying abnormal behaviour important?

Answer 9

(1) to identify housing and husbandry practices that are likely to lead to health and welfare issues
- understand how their Behaviour is motivated and controlled
- learning abilities and social organisation.

Question 10

why is identifying abnormal behaviour important?

Answer 10

(2) to identify abnormal behaviours that indicate health and welfare issues
- determine what’s normal and what’s abnormal
- how disease causes behavioural issues.
- general and species specific behaviours which indicate discomfort, stress, disease, pain and sickness.

Question 11

What are Tinbergen’s 4 questions? (1)

Answer 11

1. Mechanism = how does it work?
   - cause?
   - underlying physiological mechanism
   - genetic? motivational? Hormones?

Question 12

What are Tinbergen’s 4 questions? (2)

Answer 12

2. Function= what is it for?
   - survival
   - benefit?
   - why has it evolved?

Question 13

What are Tinbergen’s 4 questions? (3)

Answer 13

3. Evolution= how did it evolve?
   - Phylogeny?
   - Where is the behaviour from?

Question 14

What are Tinbergen’s 4 questions? (4)

Answer 14

4. development= how did it develop in the animal?
   - how does it develop during the lifetime of the animal?
   - nature vs nurture

Question 15

what are the two explanations for a broader level of analysis of animal behaviour?

Answer 15

1. Proximate

2. Ultimate

Question 16

What is a proximate explanation?

Answer 16

development and mechanism
how is this behaviour achieved in the individual animal
here and now

Question 17

What is an Ultimate explanation?

Answer 17

functional and evolutionary history
what is the behaviour for?
What has been its advantage?
What is its phylogeny?

Question 18

How does natural selection work to shape behaviour?

Answer 18

• behavioural alternatives in population
• heritable trait
• confer greater reproductive success to pass on trait.

Question 19

What are the three types of learning?

Answer 19

1. non-associative learning
2. associative learning
3. complex learning

Question 20

What is non-associative learning?

Answer 20

habituation- adaptive, don’t waste time and energy responding to a stimulation after gradual exposure
sensitisation- general enhancement of responsiveness

Question 21

What is Associative learning?

Answer 21

1. Pavlovian/ classical conditioning

2. instrumental/ operant conditioning

Question 22

What is pavlovian conditioning?

Answer 22

event-event association
learn to predict and prepare for the environment
helps with signalling and predictability which also may lead to stress, anticipation and arousal when the event is supposed to occur.

Question 23

What is operant/ instrumental conditioning?

Answer 23

learning to make or withhold an action due to it’s outcome

• positive reinforcement
• positive punishment
• negative reinforcement
• negative punishment

Question 24

Strength and speed of learning aided by:

Answer 24

• contiguity: how close response and outcome are

- contingency: how reliable is it for outcome to follow response

Question 25

What is overshadowing?

Answer 25

most salient stimulus will be most readily conditioned

Question 26

What is blocking?

Answer 26

The presence of an already establish stimulus blocking a new one

Question 27

What is complex learning?

Answer 27

concept learning, cognitive, social learning- imitations, navigation and numbers etc. who is larger than them.

Question 28

Benefits of group living

Answer 28

• dilution of predation risk
• increased predator detection (lookout)
• increased ability to defend resources
• increased ability to detect and catch food

Question 29

Costs of group living

Answer 29

• increased conspicuousness to prey or predators
• increased risk of disease and parasitism
• competition between group members for resources

Question 30

mechanisms to reduce competition within a group

Answer 30

• dominance hierarchy
• assessment of situations
• emigration from the group- freely leaving

Question 31

Mechanisms from which cooperation can evolve

Answer 31

• kin selection- help kin, even at their own risk so they survive
• reciprocal altruism - both benefit from helping each other
• mutualism- all individuals benefit from a cooperative act

Question 32

Common constraints in captivity

Answer 32

• group size, density and composition
• clumped/limited resources
• no voluntary escape route
• rapid enforcement of mixing