Elicited Behaviors Flashcards
What is elicited behavior?
behavior that occurs in reaction to specific environmental stimuli
What is another term used for elicited behavior?
Unconditioned response
What type of responses can elicited behavior have?
Simple reflexes (eyeblink to air)
Complex behavior sequences (sexual behavior)
Complex emotional responses
Goal-directed behavior (drug seeking)
What type of behavioral change does elicited behavior undergo?
habituation and sensitization
What is the simplest form of elicited behavior?
Reflexive behavior
What are the 2 requirements for a reflex?
eliciting stimulus and corresponding response
Does the response of a reflex often occur in the absence of the stimulus?
No
neurologically, what in included in a reflex arc?
sensory neuron
interneuron
motor neuron
What is the function for reflexes?
crucial for survival (avoid pain, find food)
What are reflexive responses patterns that are typical to a particular species?
Modal Action Patterns (MAPs)
How is modal action patterns different from a simple reflex?
more complex reflexes, like courtship behaviors, sequence of behaviors
Is it easier to identify the eliciting stimulus for a simple reflex or a modal action pattern?
simple reflex, no precise stimulus provokes courtship
Are MAPs species-specific or similar across species?
species-specific
What is an example of a species-specific MAPs?
chick pecks a red patch near the lip of the parent’s bill, causing them to regurgitate food for them
what is a sign stimulus?
the specific stimulus that elicits a certain MAP response
What is the sign stimulus for the MAP of the regurgitating bird?
red patch on the parent’s beak
What is a supranormal stimulus?
exaggerated stimulus used to cause and extremely vigorous response
What is an example of a supranormal stimulus?
high sugar/fat foods cause humans to have higher rates of salivation and craving than normal foods
How can identifying supranormal stimulus be useful?
stimuli can be used to trigger certain responses
What is the motivation for modla action patterns?
needs (finding food, shelter, mate)
What are the 2 phases of MAPs?
Appetitive and consummatory
what is the appetitive phase?
means necessary to get to an end-situation
What is the consummatory phase?
what the animal actually does in the end-situation
Which phase is flexible?
Appetitive, consummatory is inflexible
Which phase is species-typical?
consummatory
Which phase is more variable and tend to be shaped by learning?
Appetitive
What is a common assumption that is incorrect about simple reflexes?
a simple reflex response will automatically occur the same way each time the eliciting stimulus is presented
What did Descartes think about reflexes?
They were automatic and invariant
What do we know now about reflexes?
They can be readily modified through experience
How can reflexes be modified?
through habituation and sensitization mechanisms
What is habituation?
reduced response to same stimulus
Is habituation stimulus specific? Give an example
yes, habituation to lemon, but like lime when u taste it right after
What are the implications of the fact that habituation is stimulus specific?
pleasure or interest will rebound if given a different stimulus
diversity promotes pleasure and interest
what is the term that describes that diversity promotes pleasure and interest
sensory specific satiety
what is the effect on habituation when attention is diverted?
habituation is diminished, eating while watching tv
What happens when babies look at more complex/interesting stimuli vs simple ones?
they have a longer attention span, stare more
initial sensitization, then habituation
what is attentional bias?
tendency to pay more attention to some stimuli over others
does attentional bias apply to habituation or sensitization?
sensitization
what is an example of attentional bias
addiction, people show attentional bias towards addiction-related stimuli
what is a startle response
defensive reaction to potential fear or actual attack
does the startle response incite habituation?
yes, short or long-term
what happens to a startle response after a break time following habituation
spontaneous recovery
what is the elevated plus maze
test that measures anxiety-like behavior
animals presented to open and closed spaces
what do animals prefer in the elevated plus maze
enclosed areas
what has the elevated plus maze contributed to us
help identify fear and anxiety reducing drugs
what is sensitization
same stimulus incites stronger response
give an example of habituation vs sensitization with sound
H: fire alarm, just the other building
S: repeating beep in room with noise, pay more and more attention to it
what can influence sensitization
arousal levels
give example of how arousal levels affect sensitization
getting tapped on shoulder in maxi vs dark alleyway
what response can be used to measure the fear-potentiated startle effect
eyeblink response
what is the result of a shock threat to judging the pleasantness of a picture
shock threat caused sensitization, more blinking
what are some other explanations for response decline to a same stimulus other than habituation
sensory adaptation: sense organs temporarily disabled(blinding light)
response fatigue: muscles involved become incapacitated by fatigue (long exam, brain dead)
are habituation and sensitization mutually exclusive
no
what is dual-process theory
assumes different types of underlying neural processes are responsible for habituation and sensitization
What is a situation where habituation and sensitization are usually observed
drug addiction
T or F: a drug can produce tolerance and sensitization but for different effects at the same time
true
what are the effects of chronic amphetamine
Tolerance: euphoric and sympathomimetic effects
Sensitization: psychosis-like effects, hallucination, paranoia
what are the effects of chronic caffeine
T: wakefulness/arousal
S: motor and diuretic
What is a hypothesis for why people increase drug intake
tolerance to euphoric and pleasurable effects
what results of growing levels of tolerance
dependence
in dependence, what happens in the absence of the drug
withdrawal symptoms
what is possibly the cause of excessive/incessant craving and relapse of drugs
sensitization of wanting/reward pathways
what is the opponent process theory of motivation
a primary reaction is followed by an opposite counter-reaction
1° reaction habituated with repeated stimulus
counter reaction strengthens with repitition
what is the core principle in opponent process theory of motivation
homeostatic, stability of system
with repetition, what will happen to the b process
start earlier (anticipate)
can be conditioned and learned
can outlast a, resulting in stronger opponent response
how does the opponent process theory of motivation apply to drugs
if drug raises heart rate, opponent process reduces it, danger of withdrawl!!
also, always want more because opponent reaction reduces effects
