The basis of Behavioral Medicine

Question 1

What questions do we need to consider when thinking about behaviour?

Answer 1

• How is the behaviour accomplished? (causation)
• How does the behaviour contribute to the animal’s survival and reproductive success? (function)
• How does the behaviour develop during the animal’s lifetime? (development/ontogeny)
• How did the behaviour evolve? (evolution)

Question 2

How do animals respond to stimulus?

Answer 2

• Stimulus can be interal or external
• The response is a function of the nervous system (limbic and cerebral cortex specifically)
• STIMULUS -> interpretation by CNS -> integration (correlated with memory and experience) -> RESPONSE

Question 3

What are the patterns of behaviour?

Answer 3

• Innate
• Innate/learned
• Learned

Question 4

What is a precocial species?

Answer 4

• Young born in an advances state of development. For example, turtles going to the ocean after hatching, early independence of foals, calves and lambs.
• Main reason for this is because they are a prey species

Question 5

What is a altricial species?

Answer 5

• Young born in an underdeveloped state = dependent on parental care
• Examples include birds, marsupials, humans, primates

Question 6

What are some examples of semi precocial/semi altricial species?

Answer 6

Piglets, penguins