development, learning and personality Flashcards
what is genetic determinism
the idea that behaviour is entirely controlled by genetics. it overlook the importance of environmental factors
what makes behaviours conditional
they change depending on the context eg behaviour in mating season is different to outside of mating season
what is learning
adjusting of behaviour to suit the environment as a result of their perception of it, with the goal of enhancing fitness
what are the types of learning
habituation, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, imprinting, latent learning and insight learning
what is habituation
becoming less responsive to irrelevant stimuli. it occurs in all animals
what is dishabituation
‘forgetting’ of habitually learnt behaviour which can sometimes be beneficial for fitness
what is classical conditioning and what are the potential problems
the best example is Pavlov’s dog where one stimulus is associated with another. problems can be blocking or overshadowing
what is blocking
is A and B are two stimulus and the subject already has an association with A then it might prevent associations forming with B
what is overshadowing
if one stimulus is stronger or more easily identified then it may shadow another
what is salience
how well a stimulus stands out
what is operant conditioning
trial and error. there is continuous reinforcement either through fixed or variable ratio schedule
what is imprinting
long lasting association established at a ‘critical period’. can be sexual (deciding on a mate) or filial/critical (finding a maternal figure)
what are the constraints on learning
blocking, overshadowing, dishabituation, salience and the Garcia effect
what is the Garcia effect
animals can’t associate stimulus that have no relevance to what would happen in the wild
why is interspecies comparison flawed
tests are selective and different species have different mechanosensory constraints
what is Macphail’s null hypothesis
all non- human vertebrates have the same level of intelligence. they have different specialisations but share the same fundamental ability to learn
what is learning set/ concept formation
learning discriminatory ideals where problem solving is more effective due to similar problems having been solved in the past
what is insight
solving a problem without any trial and error. this is difficult to prove due to mental trial and error and that they could be combining previously learnt behaviours to solve a new problem
what is the anthropocentric hierarchal view
human centred approach that ‘advanced’ behaviour is unique to humans
what is the adaptive ecological relevance view
behaviour exists only when it is relevant to the species in that part of its life
what is personality
behavioural responses that differ between individuals but are consistent across time and context
what is behavioural syndrome/ coping styles/ temperament
correlation of behavioural traits eg shy, low aggression and subordinate behaviour
what is the shy-bold axis
the beneficial balance of opposing traits where bold animals will be first to get the resources but shy are safer from predation. it can happen with all types of behavioural syndrome but shy and bold are common
