Lecture 15 - Social Learning Flashcards
Outline Social Learning
Learning influenced by observation of or interaction with another animal
Heyes 1994
Define Social Facilitation
Increased behaviour due presence others performing that behaviour
Yawning, budgies stretching, migration sea turtle hatchlings, heard behaviour
Define Social Influence
Stimulus and local enhancement
Increase tendency interact objects (stimulus) or approach location (local) because presence/action others
Lorenz and ducks more likely escape through hole in fence if saw other ducks doing that
Not necessarily learning just attracted
Define Affordance Learning
Learning what can be done with objects or environment
Not necessary have observed from another
Outline social or independent learning in potato washing in macaques 1953
IMO females wash potatoes before eating. 1958 14/15 2/11 adults washing potatoes.
Like social learning and imitation
Limitation of social or independent learning in potato washing in macaques 1953
Human intervention - given potatoes Operant conditioning - increase behaviour being rewarded (more potatoes) Acquisition slow = 2 years Rate recruitment not increase More compatible learning independently
Outline Food preferences by Wrenn et al 2003
Mice ate cinnamon or cocoa flavoured food
Placed in cage observer mouse
24 hours later observer mouse choice food
Observer mice ate more cued food
Amount consumed correlated number sniffs
Useful - safer, prevent poisonous foods
Last generations
Outline fear of predators Mineka and Cook 1988 Monkeys fear of snakes
Conditioned response through observation of others
Observed wild reared monkeys reactions real snake
After observation observer monkeys displayed more avoidance and fear behaviour
Define imitation
Copying another’s behaviour exactly to reach same goal
Capable social traditions —> culture
Define emulation
Exact actions not reproduced by observer but aims for same goal
Or actions are reproduced but for different goal
Outline Bidirectional task by Heyes and Dawson 1990
Rats observed demonstrator pushing joystick to left/right food reward
Observers given access joystick
Left observers made more left pushed
Outline Two-Action Procedure - Atkins and Zenrall 1996
Trained Japanese quail manipulate treadle for food reward
Peck with beak or step with foot
Observers made more responses same part body their demonstrator
Consequences important - more likely copy behaviour observed demonstrator get reward
Outline chimps and children study by Horner and Whiten 2005
Watched demonstrator how open box including unnecessary behaviours
Box opaque both imitate
Box transparent chimps didn’t perform unnecessary behaviours
Outline findings and conclusions from chimps and children study by Horner and Whiten 2005
Imitation employed expense efficiency in humans - wasting time and energy
Emulation employed expense true copying in chimps
Outline definition of teaching by Caro and Hauser 1992
Teacher modify behaviour presence naive observer
Cost to teacher or no immediate benefit
Pupil acquired knowledge earlier/faster if not learnt
Outline Meerkats stages of teaching
Stages: teacher remove sting and for them tackle live but harmless scorpion. Teach how bite sting off.
Traditions: early rising/having low in never changes over years. Passed on over years
Outline Meerkats study on Thornton and McAuliffe 2006
Helpers modify behaviour presence pups
Adjust killing or disabling prey depending pup age
Helpers no direct benefit and incur costs - time, prey escape
Important pups developing pre-handling skills
Outline Ants study by Franks and Richardson 2006 and Richardson et al 2007
Tandem running in temnothorax albipennis - follow leader any Ants show naive ants location food Teacher modifies behaviour Costs teacher run x4 slower Pupil learn skills
