Ethology - Evaluations Flashcards
What was the focus of Tinbergen’s (1951) experiment with male sticklebacks?
Tinbergen observed male sticklebacks during the mating season, noting their territorial and aggressive behavior. He theorized that the red spot on their underside acted as an Innate Releasing Mechanism (INR), triggering aggressive attacks in a fixed action pattern.
How did Tinbergen test his theory about the red spot as an INR?
To test his theory, Tinbergen presented male sticklebacks with a wooden model. If the model had a red spot, the male stickleback attacked. Without the red spot, there was no reaction or aggression displayed.
What does an ethological explanation assume about behaviour and culture, and what did Nisbett (1996) find?
An ethological explanation assumes innate behavior should be uniform across cultures. However, Nisbett (1996) found cultural differences in aggressive responses, challenging the universality of ethological explanations.
What evidence from the animal kingdom challenges the idea of ritualistic aggression, and who conducted this research?
Goodall (2010) studied chimpanzee behavior and observed brutal wars between groups, challenging the notion of ritualistic aggression. Systematic slaughtering of one group by a stronger group was observed, suggesting non-adaptive behavior.
Are all fixed action patterns truly fixed, and what is the concept of modal action patterns?
Not all fixed action patterns are fixed; learning and environmental factors can create variation. Modal action patterns, like the prey drive in dogs, are instinctual behaviors that may differ among individuals within a species, influenced by factors such as training or selective breeding.
