Lecture 3: Instinct and learning Flashcards
Instinct
A behavior functioning in full form the first time.
Is instinct purely genetic?
no, there is a learning component.
Learning
6 facts
- modified behavior response from experience
- isn’t purely environmental
- instinct are modified by experience
- learned behaviors not always response to environment
- animals innately programed to learn
- genetic foundation for development of behavior
Classic example of instinct
- studied by Lorenz + Tinbergen
- female greylay goose
- Goose extend neck for round objects that resembles egg.
- Chooses the ball over it’s own egg
- Later foreign object will be discarded with a different behaivor.
4 Components of Instinct
- Fixed action pattern FAP
- Innate releasing mechanism IRM
- Releaser
- Supernormal stimuli
FAP
- innate and stereotyped coordination, patterning of muscle movement
- response of goose to rolling egg
- “prewired” behavior
IRM
- innate and highly schematic filter, recognition threshold.
- when stimulated, FAP is released
- goose’s innate filter is recognizing egg-like objects
Releaser = sign stimulus
- a stimulus used to trigger an IRM
- round edges of egg
Supernormal stimuli
stimuli larger than normal
bigger=better
Motivation
- SHORT-TERM ability to switch behavior
examples of motivation
hunger thirst mating flight or fight circadian rhythms
characteristics of motivation
- decrease overtime
- FAP rises with repeated stimulation
- FAP decreases with time in absence of stimulation
When is FAP or consummatory response strongest?
when stimulus strongest
Drive
LONG-TERM ability to switch behavior
- biological clock and sign stimuli triggers hormonal changes
examples of drive
territoriality courtship breeding migration hibernation
consequences of super stimuli
selection favors gene with production of more potent releasers
ex: claw size of fiddler crabs
- large claw: IRM of female/ outcompete other males
- small claw: reduce visibility to predators, enhance ability to escape.
examples of super stimuli
bright colors
loud, fancy songs
big courtship display
combat structure
Code breakers
stealing communication ode of another species and exploit their FAP.
examples of code breakers
rove beetles –> larve produce attractive scent that mimics the ant larves scent.
cowbird (brood parasite) - lay eggs in nests of smaller species of birds.
Advantages to evolution of releasers
- before animals can reason for themselves
- react faster to situations and moods without error prone thinking.
- ignore irrelevant + confusing stimuli that is related to it’s genes
- perform perfectly on some behavior, there’s no room for mistake
- direct distracted animals on the right path
Disadvantages to evolution of releasers
- can trigger maladaptive response (why do insects fly toward light?)
- vulnerable to code breakers
- runaway sexual selection
Genetically programmed learning in honeybees
When is flower’s color learned? before landing
When is odor learned? at food
When is landmark learned? fly away from food
Odor > color > landmarks > time –> learned as a set
relearn landmarks each morning before leaving
if 1 component change, the whole set is learned again
6 Learning types
Habituation Associative learning Spatial learning Imprinting Observational learning Innovative learning+ cultural transmission
Habituation
- Response from repeated occurrence of a stimulus without reinforcement.
- May be positive (food reward) or negative (tug on dog’s chain)
- SHORT-TERM process can be reversed –> fatigue or sensory adaptation.
Associative learning
- link two or more ideas or experiences together.
- animal becomes ill after eating food, later avoids the food
- Classical conditioning
- operant conditioning
Classical conditioning
salvation to the sound of bell
Operant conditioning
animal rewarded or punished after performance. Trial and error learning
Spatial learning
learning where objects are located
birds+ mammals remember location of food they stored
Imprinting of parents by young
learn to recognize parents, follow them to survive
“critical period”, day 1 for ducklings
sexual imprinting
- when animal’s several months old, critical period of several week.
- irreversible if stimuli is controlled in full length of critical period
- zebra finches raised with bengalese finches during entire critical period. Lost contact, mate and reproduce with zebra finch until they reencounter Bengalese finch later on.
imprinting of young by adults
- parents take care of their own, and recognize them
- Colonially breeding species’ young will wander into another nest.
sibling recognition
- avoid being aggressive and mating with each other
- recognition based on odor
Observational learning
initiation of behavior after observing another animal perform behavior
Innovative learning + cultural transmission
- behavior learned to solve problems, and is passed on to others
- Least likely to try –> dominant male
ex) Blue Tits birds –> peel back cardboard caps of milk
Cognition
Mental function, perception, thinking + memory
There is also cognition in animals
Pigeons can distinguish b/w trees and non-trees.
