Behaviour and Welfare Flashcards
What causes a behaviour?
Depends on current state and previous experiences
What are the two theoretical models for motivation?
- Konrad Lorenz Psycho-hydraulics
2. Homeostatic feedback and control of behaviour
What is the Konrad Lorenz Model?
Lavatory pan theory- Tap fills a reservoir (internal causal factor)- leaves reservoir via valve which is opened by a weight (external causal factor
what is the Homeostatic feedback model?
actual value –> behaviour to bring actual value to ideal behaviour–vv
^^————————————-ideal value———————————–
What do the theoretical models lack?
Don’t tell us the neural or physiological basis for specific Behaviours
what welfare issues are likely to occur through the theoretical models?
- animals are prevented from performing a motivated behaviour
- animals are able to perform but are prevented from achieving the functional goal
- animals are provided with the functional consequence but unable to perform to achieve it.
What result is found when animals are restricted from performing a motivated behaviour?
increased motivation and frustration which is satisfied by abnormal Behaviours
what can behaviour indicate?
health and welfare issues
why is identifying abnormal behaviour important?
(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.
why is identifying abnormal behaviour important?
(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.
What are Tinbergen’s 4 questions? (1)
- Mechanism = how does it work?
- cause?
- underlying physiological mechanism
- genetic? motivational? Hormones?
What are Tinbergen’s 4 questions? (2)
- Function= what is it for?
- survival
- benefit?
- why has it evolved?
What are Tinbergen’s 4 questions? (3)
- Evolution= how did it evolve?
- Phylogeny?
- Where is the behaviour from?
What are Tinbergen’s 4 questions? (4)
- development= how did it develop in the animal?
- how does it develop during the lifetime of the animal?
- nature vs nurture
what are the two explanations for a broader level of analysis of animal behaviour?
- Proximate
2. Ultimate
What is a proximate explanation?
development and mechanism
how is this behaviour achieved in the individual animal
here and now
What is an Ultimate explanation?
functional and evolutionary history
what is the behaviour for?
What has been its advantage?
What is its phylogeny?
How does natural selection work to shape behaviour?
- behavioural alternatives in population
- heritable trait
- confer greater reproductive success to pass on trait.
What are the three types of learning?
- non-associative learning
- associative learning
- complex learning
What is non-associative learning?
habituation- adaptive, don’t waste time and energy responding to a stimulation after gradual exposure
sensitisation- general enhancement of responsiveness
What is Associative learning?
- Pavlovian/ classical conditioning
2. instrumental/ operant conditioning
What is pavlovian conditioning?
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.
What is operant/ instrumental conditioning?
learning to make or withhold an action due to it’s outcome
- positive reinforcement
- positive punishment
- negative reinforcement
- negative punishment
Strength and speed of learning aided by:
- contiguity: how close response and outcome are
- contingency: how reliable is it for outcome to follow response
What is overshadowing?
most salient stimulus will be most readily conditioned
What is blocking?
The presence of an already establish stimulus blocking a new one
What is complex learning?
concept learning, cognitive, social learning- imitations, navigation and numbers etc. who is larger than them.
Benefits of group living
- dilution of predation risk
- increased predator detection (lookout)
- increased ability to defend resources
- increased ability to detect and catch food
Costs of group living
- increased conspicuousness to prey or predators
- increased risk of disease and parasitism
- competition between group members for resources
mechanisms to reduce competition within a group
- dominance hierarchy
- assessment of situations
- emigration from the group- freely leaving
Mechanisms from which cooperation can evolve
- 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
Common constraints in captivity
- group size, density and composition
- clumped/limited resources
- no voluntary escape route
- rapid enforcement of mixing
