Lecture 3: Instinct and learning

Question 1

Instinct

Answer 1

A behavior functioning in full form the first time.

Question 2

Is instinct purely genetic?

Answer 2

no, there is a learning component.

Question 3

Learning

6 facts

Answer 3

1. modified behavior response from experience
2. isn’t purely environmental
3. instinct are modified by experience
4. learned behaviors not always response to environment
5. animals innately programed to learn
6. genetic foundation for development of behavior

Question 4

Classic example of instinct

Answer 4

• 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.

Question 5

4 Components of Instinct

Answer 5

• Fixed action pattern FAP
• Innate releasing mechanism IRM
• Releaser
• Supernormal stimuli

Question 6

FAP

Answer 6

• innate and stereotyped coordination, patterning of muscle movement
• response of goose to rolling egg
• “prewired” behavior

Question 7

IRM

Answer 7

• innate and highly schematic filter, recognition threshold.
• when stimulated, FAP is released
• goose’s innate filter is recognizing egg-like objects

Question 8

Releaser = sign stimulus

Answer 8

• a stimulus used to trigger an IRM

- round edges of egg

Question 9

Supernormal stimuli

Answer 9

stimuli larger than normal

bigger=better

Question 10

Motivation

Answer 10

• SHORT-TERM ability to switch behavior

Question 11

examples of motivation

Answer 11

hunger
thirst
mating
flight or fight 
circadian rhythms

Question 12

characteristics of motivation

Answer 12

• decrease overtime
• FAP rises with repeated stimulation
• FAP decreases with time in absence of stimulation

Question 13

When is FAP or consummatory response strongest?

Answer 13

when stimulus strongest

Question 14

Drive

Answer 14

LONG-TERM ability to switch behavior

- biological clock and sign stimuli triggers hormonal changes

Question 15

examples of drive

Answer 15

territoriality
courtship
breeding 
migration 
hibernation

Question 16

consequences of super stimuli

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

examples of super stimuli

Answer 17

bright colors
loud, fancy songs
big courtship display
combat structure

Question 18

Code breakers

Answer 18

stealing communication ode of another species and exploit their FAP.

Question 19

examples of code breakers

Answer 19

rove beetles –> larve produce attractive scent that mimics the ant larves scent.

cowbird (brood parasite) - lay eggs in nests of smaller species of birds.

Question 20

Advantages to evolution of releasers

Answer 20

1. before animals can reason for themselves
2. react faster to situations and moods without error prone thinking.
3. ignore irrelevant + confusing stimuli that is related to it’s genes
4. perform perfectly on some behavior, there’s no room for mistake
5. direct distracted animals on the right path

Question 21

Disadvantages to evolution of releasers

Answer 21

1. can trigger maladaptive response (why do insects fly toward light?)
2. vulnerable to code breakers
3. runaway sexual selection

Question 22

Genetically programmed learning in honeybees

Answer 22

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

Question 23

6 Learning types

Answer 23

Habituation 
Associative learning 
Spatial learning
Imprinting
Observational learning
Innovative learning+ cultural transmission

Question 24

Habituation

Answer 24

• 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.

Question 25

Associative learning

Answer 25

• link two or more ideas or experiences together.
• animal becomes ill after eating food, later avoids the food
• Classical conditioning
• operant conditioning

Question 26

Classical conditioning

Answer 26

salvation to the sound of bell

Question 27

Operant conditioning

Answer 27

animal rewarded or punished after performance. Trial and error learning

Question 28

Spatial learning

Answer 28

learning where objects are located

birds+ mammals remember location of food they stored

Question 29

Imprinting of parents by young

Answer 29

learn to recognize parents, follow them to survive

“critical period”, day 1 for ducklings

Question 30

sexual imprinting

Answer 30

• 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.

Question 31

imprinting of young by adults

Answer 31

• parents take care of their own, and recognize them

- Colonially breeding species’ young will wander into another nest.

Question 32

sibling recognition

Answer 32

• avoid being aggressive and mating with each other

- recognition based on odor

Question 33

Observational learning

Answer 33

initiation of behavior after observing another animal perform behavior

Question 34

Innovative learning + cultural transmission

Answer 34

• 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

Question 35

Cognition

Answer 35

Mental function, perception, thinking + memory
There is also cognition in animals
Pigeons can distinguish b/w trees and non-trees.