Behavior

Question 1

Science of animal behavior.

Answer 1

Ethology

Question 2

Characterizes all related organisms as descended from common ancestors.
A natural process of slow change and development that gradually leads to the development of new species of plants/animals over a very long period of time.

Answer 2

Evolution

Question 3

A particular animal species’ instinct enables species to respond appropriately to a wide range of conditions (stimuli) in the natural world to ensure the appropriate responses lead to survival and less successful responses lead to death or less successful reproduction which leads to the extinction of the less successful behavior.

Answer 3

Natural Selection

Question 4

Any object can elicit the same response by exhibiting the cues.

Answer 4

Fixed Action Patterns

Question 5

Young animals follow their parents because of auditory/visual cues the parents present.
This rapid learning process enables the very young to recognize/bond with their caretaker(s) as well as identify them as individuals.

Answer 5

Imprinting

Question 6

The theory that behavior is learned rather than genetically programmed.

Answer 6

Behavioralism

Question 7

All complex forms of behavior (including emotions, thoughts, and habits) are complex muscular and glandular responses that can be observed and measured.

Answer 7

Stimulus-Response Theory

Question 8

The association of stimuli that happens at approximately the same time or in roughly the same area.
ex. Pavlov —> bell reliably signaled that food was on the way

Answer 8

Classical Conditioning

Question 9

The association of an activity with punishment or reward.

Answer 9

Operant Conditioning

Question 10

Adding something.
Can be good (toy or treat)
Can be bad (loud noise)

Answer 10

Positive

Question 11

Taking something away/removing something.
Can be taking away something aversive (like a shock)
Can be removing something an animal likes (such as attention from a person)

Answer 11

Negative

Question 12

You want the learned to continue the behavior.
Encouragement.

Answer 12

Reinforcement

Question 13

You want the behavior to go away, stop behavior.
Typically aversive (unpleasant/uncomfortable).

Answer 13

Punishment

Question 14

You add something to increase behavior.
Add something pleasant to increase behavior.
ex. offer a treat when dogs sit on cue.

Answer 14

Positive Reinforcement

Question 15

You take something away to increase behavior.
Remove something unpleasant to increase behavior.
ex. you take away your teenager’s chores for the day because they finish their homework.

Answer 15

Negative Reinforcement

Question 16

You add something to decrease a behavior.
Add unpleasant response to decrease behavior.
ex. you use an air horn to stop a dog from barking.

Answer 16

Positive Punishment

Question 17

You remove something to decrease a behavior.
Remove something pleasant to decrease behavior.
ex. turning your back on your dog when they jump on you (take away the attention)

Answer 17

Negative Punishment

Question 18

Stimuli that have a biological basis —> need little to no prior conditioning (learning) to be effective.

Answer 18

Primary Reinforcers

Question 19

Completely neural or weakly positive reinforcement —> things like games or you may remember a gold star you got on your homework.

Answer 19

Secondary Reinforcers

Question 20

The study of the biological basis of social behavior
Complex social patterns arise, develop, and sometimes disappear based on their survival value.

Answer 20

Sociobiology

Question 21

Stereotypical/predictable behaviors in same-species animals.
Patterns same among all members of the same species.

Answer 21

Fixed Action Patterns

Question 22

Inherited/genetically coded responses to environmental stimuli enable members of a species to respond appropriately to a wide ranger of situations in the natural world.
Often characteristic patterns of feeding, mating, parenting, and displays of aggression. Permits animals to perform very complex behaviors without learning through trial and error.

Answer 22

Instincts

Question 23

This rapid learning process enables the very young to recognize and bond with their caretaker(s) and identify them as individuals.
A process by which young animals follow their parents because of visual/auditory cues the parents present

Answer 23

Imprinting

Question 24

When the hair stands up.
Signal of anxiety, fear, auroral, excitement, conflict.

Answer 24

Piloerection

Question 25

Critical socialization period of puppies.

Answer 25

4-14 weeks

Question 26

Critical socialization period of kittens.

Answer 26

2-8 weeks

Question 27

Behavior arising from an impulse to harm another being.

Answer 27

Aggression

Question 28

Fight. Flight. Freeze. Fret.

Answer 28

Fear Responses

Question 29

Pace, pant, can’t settle down, watch vigilantly. *Can also be associated with separation anxiety.*

Answer 29

Fret

Question 30

Animals that hold still can blend into the environment to avoid predators. Lifesaving (esp. in the wild). *Dogs during restraint (lack of movement is stiff and is a fear response).* *Cats when they think that someone is looking for them.*

Answer 30

Freeze

Question 31

Attempting to get away from a perceived danger. *Usually this is running away long enough or far enough for the animal to find a hiding place.*

Answer 31

Flight

Question 32

All animals will when they’re afraid… But prefer to escape or freeze. *Dogs will snarl, show their teeth, lunge.* *Cats will raise their hair to make themselves larger, hiss, swipe with a paw.*

Answer 32

Fight

Question 33

A behavior problem in dogs due to the strong, close bonds with their owners and the fact that they are a highly social species. *Bond so strong that dog feels anxiety when separated from owner.* *May see excessive vocalization, destructive behavior, inappropriate elimination, anorexia, hyperactivity, or inactivity.* *Some exhibit physical signs including panting, hypersalivation, vomiting, or diarrhea.*

Answer 33

Separation Anxiety

Question 34

Behavior problem that occurs when a dog is exposed to an uncomfortable/uncertain stimulus/conflict. *Dog has learned that aggression will allow it to avoid the conflict and uses aggression to lessen its fear of the stimulus.* *Arises from inconsistent/unpredictable environment.*

Answer 34

Conflict-Related Aggression

Question 35

Behavior problem that occurs whenever an animal is in a situation it previewed as threatening and can’t escape. Causes include loud noises, children, or even specific individuals. *Most common type of aggression seen in vet hospitals.*

Answer 35

Fear-Induced Aggression

Question 36

Behavior problem that comes from dogs’/cats’ instinct to hunt. *Animal wont give a warning, usually stalks prey until finally pouncing on it.*

Answer 36

Predatory Aggression

Question 37

Behavior problem that comes from a protective instinct. *Might bite if **painful** body part touched.*

Answer 37

Pain-Induced Aggression

Question 38

Behavior problem that comes from a testosterone-driven natural instinct that causes males to display aggression towards each other. *Nearly eliminated by castration.*

Answer 38

Intermale Aggression

Question 39

Behavioral problem where animals show aggressive tendencies related to territory. *Dogs —> towards humans who aren’t members of their household.* *Cats —> toward other cats in their perceived territory.*

Answer 39

Territorial Aggression

Question 40

Behavioral problem that can occur in the post-partum period. *Normal maternal instinct developed to protect an animal’s young from danger.*

Answer 40

Maternal Aggression

Question 41

Behavior problem where animals urinate/defecate inside the home. *Can have many causes including medical conditions, sexual maturity, inconsistent training, infrequent walks, fear.*

Answer 41

House-Soiling

Question 42

Giving a command and immediately rewarding the desired response.

Answer 42

Cue-Response-Reward *Command-Response-Reward*

Question 43

A clicker is used to signal to the animal that it performed the right command/behavior and will receive a reward.

Answer 43

Clicker Training

Question 44

Involves eliminating a problem behavior by completely removing the reinforcement for the behavior.

Answer 44

Extinction

Question 45

Involves creating a relationship between an unpleasant stimulus and an object that an animal may be marking, chewing, or otherwise damaging. *Used to keep an animal away from a particular area or object.*

Answer 45

Aversion Therapy

Question 46

Involves the use of positive punishment *(add to decrease)* to diminish a problem behavior. *To discourage an animal from displaying a particular behavior.* *Goal = for the pet to link a behavior with an unpleasant event and then avoid that circumstance.*

Answer 46

Avoidance Therapy

Question 47

Involves surrounding the animal with the stimulus causing the problem until the animal becomes acclimated to the stimulus and is no longer afraid of it.

Answer 47

Habituation

Question 48

To elimitate an undesired behavior. *MUST: Occur every time the behavior occurs, be applied immediately, and be of appropriate intensity.*

Answer 48

Punishment

Question 49

Involves taking a stimulus link to a negative emotion and reconditioning the animal by linking the stimulus to a positive emotion. *Can replace an undesirable behavior with a desired one.* *Sometimes used in conjunction with desensitization.*

Answer 49

Counterconditioning

Question 50

Involves diminishing a particular behavior by gradually exposing the animal to the stimulus that produces the inappropriate response.

Answer 50

Desensitization

Question 51

Includes cue-response-reward, clicker training, extinction, aversion therapy, avoidance therapy, habituation, punishment, counterconditioning, and desensitization. *Can also include environmental modification, surgical approaches, and pharmaceutical therapy.*

Answer 51

Behavior Modification Techniques