Biology Animal Behavior Flashcards
Reflexes are automatic responses to simple ___ and are recognized as reliable behavioral responses following a given environmental stimulus
stimuli
A ___ is controlled at the spinal cord, connecting a two-neuron pathway from the receptor (afferent neuron) to the motor (efferent neuron)
simple reflex
The ___ innervates the effector (e.g. a muscle or gland)
efferent nerve
More complex reflex patterns involve neural integration at a higher level of the __ or even the cerebrum
brainstem
The startle response involves the integration of many ___ in a system termed the reticular activating system, which is responsible for sleep-wake transitions and behavioral motivation
neurons
Fixed-action patterns are complex, coordinated, ___ behavioral responses to specific patterns of stimulation in the environment
innate
For fixed-action patterns, the ___ that elicits the behavior is referred to as the releaser
stimulus
Daily cycles of ___ are called circadian rhythms
behavior
Just as ___ stimuli influence many naturally occurring biological rhythms, biological factors influence behavior governed by period environmental stimuli
environmental
The capacity for learning adaptive responses is closely correlated with the degree of ___ (i.e., the capacity of the nervous system, particularly the cerebral cortex, for flexibility and plasticity)
neurologic development
___ is one of the simplest learning patterns involving the suppression of the normal start response to stimuli
habituation
In habituation, repeated ___ results in decreased responsiveness to that stimulus
stimulation
Classical or ___ conditioning involves the association of a normally autonomic or visceral response with an environmental stimulus
Pavlovian
In 1927, Ivan Pavlov discovered that if a dog was presented with an arbitrary stimulus (e.g. a bell) and then presented with food, it would eventually salivate on hearing the ___ alone
bell
An established (innate) ___ consists of an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., food) and the response that is naturally elicited, termed the unconditioned response (e.g., salivation)
reflex
(operant or instrumental conditioning) ___ or reward includes providing food, light , or electrical stimulation of the animal’s brain “pleasure centers.”
positive reinforcement
(operant or instrumental conditioning) the animal has developed a ___ connection between the action and the removal of something unpleasant, and the animal is more likely to repeat the behavioral response
positive
(operant or instrumental conditioning) Punishment involves ___ an organism so that it will stop exhibiting a given behavior pattern
conditioning
The several responses to a ___ are believed to be ordered in a habit family hierarchy
stimulus
Punishment weakens a specific ___ and lowers its order in the hierarchy
behavioral response
In ___ and operant conditioning, the response is diminished and finally eliminated in the absence of reinforcement
instrumental
The recovery of the conditioned response after extinction is called ___
spontaneous recovery
___ is the ability of a conditioned organism to respond to stimuli that are similar but not identical to the original conditioned stimulus
stimulus generalization
___ involves the ability of the learning organism to respond differentially to slightly different stimuli
stimulus discrimination
A ___ is established after the organism has been conditioned, whereby stimuli further and further away from the original conditioned stimulus elicit responses with decreasing magnitude
stimulus generalization gradient
___ is a process in which environmental patterns or objects presented to a developing organism during a brief critical period in early life become accepted permanently as an element of its behavioral environment (i.e., “stamped in” and included in an animal’s behavioral response)
imprinting
A display may be defined as an ___ that has evolved as a signal for communication between members of the same species
innate behavior
___ are specific behaviors found in all animals, including humans
reproductive display
___ are specific behaviors that function to reduce physical harm to the animal
agonistic displays
The ___ is frequently referred to as the pecking order
social hierarchy
The larger the ___, the smaller the territories are likely to be
population
Many animals secrete substances called ___, which influence the behavior of other members of the same species (olfactory)
pheromones
In addition to serving as sex attractants, ___ may also be secreted as alarm or toxic defensive substances
releaser pheromones
Primer pheromones produce ___-term behavioral and physiological alterations in receiving animals
long
