SNS - Biology - Animal Behaviour

Question 1

Simple Relexes

Answer 1

• Controlled at spinal cord
• Two neuron pathway from afferent (receptor) to efferent
• Efferent innervates effector (muscle or gland)

Question 2

Complex Reflexes

Answer 2

• Involve neural integration at a higher level - brainstem or cerebrum
• For example, startle reflex - involves interaction of the reticular activating system which is responsible for sleep-wake cycle and behavioural motivation

Question 3

Fixed Action Patterns

Answer 3

• Complex, coordinated innate behavioural responses to specific patternsof environmental stimulation. For example imprinting in baby chicks
• Releaser - triggering environmental stimulus
• Certain types of stimuli are more effective in triggering FAPs, for example an egg with the characteristics of a mother bird’s species will be more effective in triggering nurturing responses that one without

Question 4

Learning

Habituation

Answer 4

• One of simplest learning patterns
• Involves suppression of normal startle responses to stimuli
• Repeated stimulation results in decreased responsiveness to these stimuli
• If stimulus no longer applied, response tends to recover over time - spontaneous recovery
• Recovery can also occur with modification of the stimulus

Question 5

Learning

Classical Conditioning

Answer 5

• Pavlovian
• Involves association of a normally autonomic or visceral response with an environmental stimulus

Question 6

Learning

Classical Conditioning

Innate Reflex

Answer 6

Consists of an unconditioned stimulus and the unconditioned response - that which is naturally elicited by the stimulus

Question 7

Learning

Classical Conditioning

Neutral Stimulus

Answer 7

Stimulus that will not by itself elicit a response prior to conditioning

Question 8

Learning

Classical Conditioning

Conditioning

Answer 8

Establishment of a new reflex by the addition of a new, previously neutral stimulus to a set of stimuli that are already capable of trigerring the response

Question 9

Learning

Classical Conditioning

Pseudoconditioning

Answer 9

Where the ‘neutral stimulus’ is capable of eliciting the response prior to conditioning, hence is not really a neutral stimulus

Question 10

Learning

Operant Conditioning

Answer 10

Involves conditioning responses to stimuli using reward or reinforcement

1. Positive reinforcement - association of a behaviour with a reward
2. Negative reinforcement - association of lack of a behaviour with a reward
3. Punishment
4. Habit family hierachy - stimulus usually associated with several possible responses. Conditioning via reward or punishment can act to raise or lower a behaviour’s place in the hierarchy, increasing or decreasing probability of that behaviour being the one performed

Question 11

Learning

Modification of Learned Behaviour

Answer 11

1. Extinction
2. Generalisation and discrimination

Question 12

Learning

Modification of Learned Behaviour

Extinction

Answer 12

Gradual elimination of conditioned responses in absence of reinforcement - unlearning of responses

• Operant - Response diminished and gradually eliminated in absence of reinforcement. Non completely unlearned - will rapidly reappear if reinforcement returned
• Classical - occurs when unconditioned stimulus removed or if was not sufficiently paired with the conditioned stimulus. Conditioned stimulus must be paired with unconditioned stimulus at least part of time for condiioned response to be maintained. Spontaneous recovery of conditioned response to the conditioned stimulus may be seen

Question 13

Learning

Modification of Learned Behaviour

Generalisation and Discrimination

Answer 13

• Generalisation - ability of conditioned organism to respond to stimuli similar but not identical to conditioned stimulus
• Discriminnation - ability of conditioned organism to respond differently to slightly different stimuli

Question 14

Learning

Limits

Imprinting

Answer 14

• Process in which environmental patterns or objects presented to a developing organism during a brief ‘critical period’ in early life become accepted permanently as an element of its behavioural environment

Question 15

Intraspecific Interactions

Behioural Displays

Answer 15

• Display - innate behaviour that has evolved as a signal for communication between members of a species

1. Reproductive
2. Agnostic - eg dog’s display of appeasement when it wags it’s tail
3. Other - eg dancing of honeybees

Question 16

Intraspecific Interactions

Pecking Order

Answer 16

Dominant member of species will prevail over subordinate one

Minimises violent interactions by defining stable relationships amoung members of the group

Question 17

Intraspecific Interactions

Territoriality

Answer 17

Serves adaptive function of distributing members of a species so environmental resources aren’t depleted in a small region as well as reducing intraspecific competitiion

Question 18

Intraspecific Interactions

Response To Chemicals

Answer 18

1. Releaser Pheromones - trigger reversible behavioural change in the recipient, eg sex attractant pheromones, alarm and toxic defensive substances
2. Primer Pheromones - produce long term behioural and physical alterations in recipient, eg regulation of role determination and reproductive capacities in social insects such as ants, bees and termites