lecture 3

Question 1

Domain Specific Learning

Answer 1

learning specific to the senses that is more advantageous to an animal

ex: dogs with smell, seagulls recognizing people with sight

Question 2

Learning affected by Stable vs. Less Stable environments

Answer 2

the more stable and environment, the less learning that happens (specialist)

less stable an environment, the more learning that happens (generalist)

Question 3

Habituation

Answer 3

exposure to irrationally feared things becoming less frighting over time

ex: breaking in a horse

Question 4

Preadaptation

Answer 4

a trait that can be tweaked for a new behavior training

ex: dolphin’s using their nose rather than flippers

Question 5

Pavlovian/Classical Conditioning

Answer 5

pairing a conditioned stimulus (CS) with an unconditioned stimulus

CS has a predictive value that are physical

ex: ringing a bell and a dog starts salivating

Question 6

Operant Conditioning (Skinner Box)

Answer 6

interactive positive or negative reinforcement (receiving shocks for certain behaviors or receiving food for certain actions)

Question 7

Temporal Learning

Answer 7

learning time intervals

ex: snowshoe hare meeting
offspring at the same spot at the same time for feeding

Question 8

Spatial Learning

Answer 8

locations and cognitive maps, mental framework to navigate areas

ex: bees returning to hives

Question 9

Instinct

Answer 9

Signal Stimulus, Innate releasing mechanism, fixed action pattern

Question 10

Altricial

Answer 10

offspring hatch underdeveloped

ex: bird chicks hatch blind and need to be fed

Question 11

Precocial

Answer 11

born more developed and show independent activity from hatchings

ex: they imprint on their mothers

Question 12

Chaffinch Experiments

Answer 12

Sensitive window for altricial singers to learn complex song – must be exposed to it (usually by a real-life tutor). Will only have their genetic subsong, all instinctual no mimicry

Question 13

Harlow Experiments

Answer 13

normal vs. abnormal development

Abnormal isolation
during sensitive developmental periods can ruin them for life (1 mo vs 3 vs 6 mo monkeys)

Question 13

Developmental Homeostasis

Answer 13

mechanisms within an organism that help guide the course of development to a normal state

can be physiological or developmental

ex: women giving birth during war

Question 14

Play Behavior

Answer 14

1. physical conditioning
2. learn to hunt/forage
3. hierarchies
4. gender roles
5. mating