Lecture 2: Into to Behaviour

Question 1

What was the decade that behaviour became more well known?

Answer 1

1970’s - 1090’s

Question 2

What were the issues with the older definitions of Behaviour? such as “the way an organism responds to a situation”

Answer 2

They are too generic, some had to have specific details such as being a form of action, or muscles and bones. So what happen when those things are not met for example jelly fish do they have have behaviours? No one could also agree with a definition they were all over the place.

Question 3

What is the criteria of definitions?

Answer 3

1. Operational - identifies characteristics that allow you to decide if items do or do not qualify (in this example with survey: Including inaction/action and excluding developmental changes)
2. Essential- should include what we think should qualify and exclude what it should not qualify (in this example what the survey said)
3. Widely applicable- researchers in different areas should be able to apply the same definition, can’t be too specific so you have multiple definitions
4. Succinct- free of explanatory elements that do not aid in the operational interpretation of the definition (each word is necessary).

Question 4

what is the best current definition of behaviour?

Answer 4

“Behaviour is the internally coordinated responses (actions or inactions) of whole loving organisms (individuals or groups) to internal and/or external stimuli, excluding responses more easily understood as developmental changes”.

Question 5

What are some examples of different levels of behaviour?

Answer 5

Species –> Population. –> Family group. –> Dyad –> Individual
seasonal Migration migration. food source interactions b/w individuals walking to food