chp. 51 vocab Flashcards
Proximate Causation
“how” a behavior occurs or is modified
Ultimate causation
“why” a behavior occurs in context of natural selection
fixed action pattern
a type of behavior linked to a simple stimulus; a sequence of unlearned acts that is essentially unchangeable and once started goes to completion
Kinesis
a change in activity or turning rate in response to stimuli
taxis
an oriented movement toward or away some stimulus
migration
regular, long distance change in location
innate behavior
behavior that is developmentally fixed, can vary depending on experience or learning to change
habituation
loss of responsiveness to stimuli that convey little to no new info
critical period
limited developmental phase when certain behaviors can be learned
associative learning
ability to associate one environment feature (like color) with another (bad taste)
operant conditioning
animal learns to associate one of its own behaviors with a reward or punishment and then it tends to repeat or avoid the behavior
classical conditioning
a random stimulus becomes associated with a particular outcome
agonistic behavior
a ritualized contest that determines which competitor gains access to a resource like food or mates
altruism
when animals behave in a way that reduces their fitness but increases another’s
observational learning
modification of behavior through observation of other individuals
insight learning
a sudden realization of a solution to a problem
optimal behavior
an action that maximizes the difference between the costs and benefits of that decision
dominance hierarchy
individuals are dominant to those below them in the hierarchy and subordinate to those above them in the hierarchy
nature vs. nurture
how much an individuals characteristics are formed from genetics and life experiences
sign stimulus
an external sensory cue that triggers a fixed action pattern by an animal
