PSY1003 WEEK 3 PT 2 Flashcards
what are some methods of studying species-common behaviours
open-field test of aggressive and defensive behaviour
what is an open-field test
place rats in chamber and record activity.
count boluse number to study fearfulness
fearful rats stick to walls and don’t engage in behaviour (thigmotaxic(
what is social defeat
a colony-intruder paradigm, submission from less aggressive male, shows sign of stress
how can rat social defeat be used in addiction research
natural stressors such as addiction can have bigger effects if rat is on cocaine
suggests reasons why some become addicts and others don’t is differences in reaction to stress and stress hormones
having more stress hormones means less enzymes available to break down drugs so addiction rate higher
why are learning paradigms interesting
effective technology for producing and controlling animal behaviour
allow inferences on sensory, motor, motivational and cognitive states of animal from ability to learn and perform various responses
why can classical conditioning paradigm be used in drug research
‘place preference conditioning’
put rat in light/dark chamber and assess natural preference
place drug in one, saline in other, see which one animal prefers and assess rats conditioned preference of compartments
what does chunking paradigms tell us
behaviour stops being individual and combines into a single unit (eg; motor action). chunking is learnt, can be localised to striatum
give 2 main measures of semi-natural learning paradigms
escape latency , spatial transfer test
what is conditioned taste aversion
avoidance responce is developed post illness
rats can readily learn relationship between specific tastes and illness to increase their survival chance
how did conditioned taste aversion challenge 3 widely accepted principles of learning
challenged idea that animal conditioning is a graudal process, as CTA established in single trial
temporal continuity not essential in conditioning as taste aversions can be created even when illness is several hours after food
challenges equipotentiality view that conditioning proceeds in same way regardless of stimuli
explain radial arm maze
taps spatial ability affecting rat survival. 8 arms extending from central area, some full with food, rats orientate selves
explain morris water maze
rat spatial ability tested, learns to swim to platform via cues in the room, localised to hippocammpus
what is conditioned defensive burying
receiving single aversive stimulus on wall, rats learnt after one trial that object is threat and start to dig
define open-field test when studying animal paradigms
see what behaviours are exhibted, determine which parts of brain are involved, studying aggression, social dominance and courtship display
