ethological explanations Flashcards
what is ethology?
the study of animal behaviour in natural settings
what does Lorenz define aggression as?
the fighting in instinct in beast and man which is directed against members of the same species
what are the two key elements of this approach?
- aggression is instinctual - it occurs in all members of a species without the need for learning it is innate and mostly genetically determined.
- ethologist study aggression in non-human animals and extrapolates their findings to humans as we are all subject to the same forces of natural selection.
how can the study of animals help us understand human aggression?
- helps us define aggression and looks at how it occurs with other behaviours such as reproduction and threat.
- looking at animals and a natural setting means we can understand the way it has helped the evolutionary process. this is more difficult with humans in the modern day habitat.
- when an animal behaviour is studied in a lab, the conditions can be highly controlled. This is not possible to the same extent with human participants.
what did Lorenz suggest regarding aggression?
he thought that although potential for aggression could be innate, actual aggression could be brought on by environmental factors called ‘releasers’
is aggression important for animals?
yes, aggression is essential for survival in animals
What are fixed action patterns?
a repertoire of stereotypes pre-program behaviours prompted by an innate releasing mechanism. these occur in specific conditions and don’t require learning.
who created this term of fixed action patterns?
tinbergen- he believed all members of the same species have a set of stereotypical behaviours which occur in specific conditions.
factors of fixed action patterns
- stereotyped - occurs in the same way
- universal - same for all members of a species
- innate - no learning required
- ballistic - once the behaviour is inclined there is no stopping
- specific triggers - sign stimulus
do humans have a fixed action pattern for aggression now?
- eibl - eibesfeldt stated that humans no longer have a fixed action patterns
- he said that because humans are so good at adapting to the environment we have become very varied in our response
- human behaviour is far more varied less predictable so we don’t have fixed action patterns
what is an innate releasing mechanism?
the neural mechanism that produces the fixed action patterns
what is a sign stimulus?
stimulus from the environment that caused aggression, they are very specific
what did tinbergen find?
with male stickleback fish the fish will produce a fixed sequence of aggressive actions when another male enters their territory and is showing his red underbelly ‘sign stimulus’
what does ritualistic aggression involve?
- not all aggressive behaviour in false fighting but can be ritualistic in forms of threat displays
- they help individuals to assess their relative strength before deciding to escalate a conflict
