development, learning and personality

Question 1

what is genetic determinism

Answer 1

the idea that behaviour is entirely controlled by genetics. it overlook the importance of environmental factors

Question 2

what makes behaviours conditional

Answer 2

they change depending on the context eg behaviour in mating season is different to outside of mating season

Question 3

what is learning

Answer 3

adjusting of behaviour to suit the environment as a result of their perception of it, with the goal of enhancing fitness

Question 4

what are the types of learning

Answer 4

habituation, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, imprinting, latent learning and insight learning

Question 5

what is habituation

Answer 5

becoming less responsive to irrelevant stimuli. it occurs in all animals

Question 6

what is dishabituation

Answer 6

‘forgetting’ of habitually learnt behaviour which can sometimes be beneficial for fitness

Question 7

what is classical conditioning and what are the potential problems

Answer 7

the best example is Pavlov’s dog where one stimulus is associated with another. problems can be blocking or overshadowing

Question 8

what is blocking

Answer 8

is A and B are two stimulus and the subject already has an association with A then it might prevent associations forming with B

Question 9

what is overshadowing

Answer 9

if one stimulus is stronger or more easily identified then it may shadow another

Question 10

what is salience

Answer 10

how well a stimulus stands out

Question 11

what is operant conditioning

Answer 11

trial and error. there is continuous reinforcement either through fixed or variable ratio schedule

Question 12

what is imprinting

Answer 12

long lasting association established at a ‘critical period’. can be sexual (deciding on a mate) or filial/critical (finding a maternal figure)

Question 13

what are the constraints on learning

Answer 13

blocking, overshadowing, dishabituation, salience and the Garcia effect

Question 14

what is the Garcia effect

Answer 14

animals can’t associate stimulus that have no relevance to what would happen in the wild

Question 15

why is interspecies comparison flawed

Answer 15

tests are selective and different species have different mechanosensory constraints

Question 16

what is Macphail’s null hypothesis

Answer 16

all non- human vertebrates have the same level of intelligence. they have different specialisations but share the same fundamental ability to learn

Question 17

what is learning set/ concept formation

Answer 17

learning discriminatory ideals where problem solving is more effective due to similar problems having been solved in the past

Question 18

what is insight

Answer 18

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

Question 19

what is the anthropocentric hierarchal view

Answer 19

human centred approach that ‘advanced’ behaviour is unique to humans

Question 20

what is the adaptive ecological relevance view

Answer 20

behaviour exists only when it is relevant to the species in that part of its life

Question 21

what is personality

Answer 21

behavioural responses that differ between individuals but are consistent across time and context

Question 22

what is behavioural syndrome/ coping styles/ temperament

Answer 22

correlation of behavioural traits eg shy, low aggression and subordinate behaviour

Question 23

what is the shy-bold axis

Answer 23

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