Learning Flashcards
What two categories is behaviour split into?
1) Innate behaviour
2) Learned behaviour
What determines innate behaviour?
Genes
What is innate behaviour?
Behaviors that are closely controlled by genes with little or no environmental influence, can be performed by all of same species in response to a cue without prior experience
Why are innate behaviours important?
Increase survivability
What would happen to an individual who poorly performs innate behaviors?
It would be less likely to survive or reproduce.
What is an instinct and give an example
An instinct is the ability of an animal to perform a behavior the first time it is exposed to the proper stimulus.
For example, a dog will drool the first time—and every time—it is exposed to food.
What is an instinct and give an example
An instinct is the ability of an animal to perform a behavior the first time it is exposed to the proper stimulus.
For example, a dog will drool the first time—and every time—it is exposed to food.
Fixed Action Pattern
Innate behaviours are less common in species with higher levels of intelligence. True or False?
True, Humans are the most intelligent species, and they have very few innate behaviors.
What is a reflex and give 2 examples
Reflex - involuntary and rapid response to a stimulus, or cue, involve Single Muscles
- sucking reflex - newborns instinctively suck on a nipple that is placed in their mouth.
- When light acts as a stimulus, the pupil of the eye changes in size.
Why did the sucking reflex in babies evolve?
It increases the chances of a baby feeding and surviving
List different types of innate behaviours
reflex, taxis, kinesis, instinctive
What is a taxes and give an example?
a response to a stimulus resulting in movement of entire skeletal musculature towards or away from the stimulus phototaxis - earthworms move towards dark place
geotaxis - earthworms move deeper in soil
Why is Innate behaviour in many individuals of the same species
Passed on by genes
When is a taxis negative?
A taxis is negative if the organism moves away from the stimulus.
Give examples of stimuli for taxis and kinesis in animals
light, temperature, water, food, certain chemicals, gravity, and other things in the enviornment around that animal
What is kinesis and give an example
undirected movement in response to a stimulus
What is the difference between taxis and kinesis?
Taxis is more direct, kinesis is undirect
Name two types of kinesis
Orthokinesis -speed
Klinokinesis - turning
What is klinokinesis and give an example and advantage
klinokinesis - an increase in turning behaviors.
-E. coli which, in association with orthokinesis, helps the organisms randomly find a more hospitable environment.
Is hibernation innate?
Yes, it is not learned after birth. Animals that hibernate are born with an internal sense, or instinct, that tells them when they need to hibernate. This same instinct also awakens them at the proper time.
Is eating a learned behavior?
Since it is coded in your DNA, you don’t have to learn it. You might refer to innate behavior as instinct.
What is fixed action pattern?
series of movements elicited by a stimulus such that even when the stimulus is removed, the pattern goes on to completion (innate)
Give an example of fixed action pattern
three-spined stickleback - Males of this species develop a red belly during breeding season and show instinctual aggressiveness to other males during this time. In laboratory experiments, researchers exposed such fish to objects that in no way resemble a fish in their shape, but which were painted red on their lower halves. The male sticklebacks responded aggressively to the objects just as if they were real male sticklebacks.
What are the advantages of innate behaviour?
- speed
- immediate effect even when young
- defense against deadly things (react quickly to danger without thinking)
- when no-one to teach you
- building blocks of complex behaviours