MIDTERM 2 Flashcards
Learning
the durable (relatively permanent) modification of behavior in response to information acquired through specific experiences
- ability to learn is an adaptation
Benefits of learning - the animals benefits from experiences so that is behavior is better suited to environmental conditions
Associative Learning
Learning that occurs when we make a connection or association between 2 or more items
Sensitization
type of single stimulus learning
become more sensitive to a stimulus over time
habituation
type of single stimulus learning
less sensitive to stimulus over time
Pavlovian/Operant Conditioning
a stimlus is substitutes for that that is already associated with a behavior - animal learns to associate it with the new stimulus for a reward
- Reward follows the stimulus
-Unconditioned response (salivation)
- Unconditioned stimulus (food)
-Salivation is Conditioned response when it occurs in response to conditioned stimulus (bell)
Overshadowing
Pavlovian effect on ability to learn
learned response to a US stronger when presetned with one stimulus as oppsed to 2 simultaneous US stimuli
Blocking - pavlovian effect on learning
when a previously developed association between a US1 and a response prevents an individual from associating a new stimulus (US2) with that response
Latent Inhibition - Pavlovian Effect on learning
delayed inhibition of learning
Operant Conditioning
Animal learned to associate a voluntary activity with the consequences that follow
- the animal must perform an act in response to stimulus to get reward, reward follow the behavior, not the stimulus
Operant response
a learned action that an animal makes to change its environment
adaptive value
when an act has favorable consequences, it will be repeated – taste aversion
Social/Observational Learning
animal learns a task by observing or sensing what another animal is doing
Insight learning
an animal makes new associations between previously learned tasks in order to solve a new problem
Costs of learning
- possibility of learning incorrectly
- cost of neural machinery, energy to maintain and create workings in brain
- takes time to learn a response
Parental Behavior
any behavior toward a reproductively immature organism that increases the likelihood the immature individual will survive to maturity
Reasons for parental care
- passing on genes
Envoronmental demands
protection, learning, nutrition, etc
Alloparenting
parenting given by individuals that are not the biological mother or father (siblings, cousins, etc)
Altricial Offspring
born at early stage of development, helpless and require substantial parental care to survive
Precocial offspring
born at advanced stage of development
- little or no help required for survival
