Social Learning Flashcards
What is social learning?
A theory of learning and behaviour which proposes that new behaviours can be acquired by observing and imitating others
Give a famous example of cultural transmission
Imo the macaque began washing the sweet potatoes given to her in the sea (this was a novel behaviour not seen before)
This behaviour spread through the group through social learning
What is local enhancement?
A model draws attention to an area by its actions, the action of the model is what attracts the observer
In this case the observer is attracted to doing the same behaviour but it is not a behaviour it hasn’t done before
How does social facilitation differ from local enhancement?
It is not the action of the model that attracts the observer, merely its presence
What two things are important for social learning to occur?
Imitation and copying
Give the parakeet example of imitation:
The birds watched a model lift a cover from a dish either with its bill or feet
Observers of the birds using their feet were more likely to use their feet while birds that watched a model use its bill used their bill more frequently
What is the underlying mechanism of social learning in the brain?
An area in the brain known as the F5 which contains a set of mirror neurons
These neurons are active when the monkey observes the action and when it performs the action
How does copying differ from imitation?
An animal can copy the action of another even if it already knows how to perform the action
What is a tradition?
When a new preference emerges and becomes common
Give a definition of teaching in animals
A teacher must provide an immediate benefit to the students but not to themselves, they must only teach naive students and they must impart some new information to students faster than they would otherwise receive it
Give an example of teaching in animals
In meerkats helpers will bite stingers off the tails of scorpions for the naive Individuals, as the pup gets older they are presented with more live intact scorpions
