Innate behaviours
Innate behaviours are inherited and instinctive
Examples are Reflexes kinesis and taxes
Reflex
A rapid automatic response to a stimulus with a protective function that enhances survival.
Blinking to protect the eye
Kineses
They involve the whole organism moving, but the response is non-directional. In unfavourable conditions the organism moves quickly with few turns and in favourable conditions slowly with more turns
Woodlice move more in dry conditions so are more likely to encounter humid conditions avoiding dehydration
Taxes
Involves the whole organism moving in response to a stimulus where the the direction of the movement is related to the direction of the stimulus
moth attracted to light - positive phototaxis
E.coli moving to chemical for food - positive chemotaxis
Learned behaviours
Relatively permanent change in behaviour due to past experience
Imprinting
A type of learning that occurs during a very early or receptive stage (critical periods of brain development) in the life of birds and some mammals. The young of birds and some mammals respond to the first larger moving object they see smell touch or hear. They attach to this object and the attachment is reinforced by rewards such as warmth and food.
Which scientist was involved in the study of imprinting
Lorenz
Habituation
Involves learning to ignore stimuli because they are followed neither by reward or punishment.
Latent learning
Latent learning is not directed to satisfy a need or obtaining a reward. An example of exploratory learning as animals explore new surroundings and learn to enhance survival.
Which scientist is involved in the study of latent learning?
Tolman
Insight learning
Insight learning does not result from immediate trial and error learning but may be based on information previously learned by other behavioural activities
It is where a solution to a problem is found by accident but is immediately applied in the future
Experiment involving insight learning
The scientist put bananas out of a chimps reach. The only way to get them was to join two sticks together. Once the chimp had worked it out, it did it every time.
Which scientist was involved in the experiment for insight learning?
Kohler
Imitation
A form of social learning that allows learned behaviour patterns to rapidly spread between individuals and to be passed down from generation to generation. It involves copying the behaviour of another animal usually a member of the same species.
An example of imitation
The way Chimpanzees crack nuts
Some populations use stones others use sticks or branches
Associative behaviours
Associative behaviours include classical and operant conditioning
In these types of behaviour animals associated one type of stimulus with a particular response or action
Classical conditioning
Classical conditioning involves the association between a natural and an artificial stimulus to bring about the same response
The experiment involving classical conditioning
The scientist trained dogs to associate a bell with food, so they responded to the sound of the bell with salvation even when no food was to be seen or smelt
Who came up with this experiment for classical conditioning?
Pavlov
Operant conditioning
Involves the association between a particular behaviour and a reward or punishment (reinforcers)
What is the experiment involving operant conditioning
When the rats press the particular lever they were given food
The rats learned which lever gave food - food was the rewards and positive reinforcer for the learning
Who came up with the experiment involving operant conditioning?
Skinner
What are the three main types of vertebrae social group?
Egalitarian
Despotic
Dominance hierarchy
Egalitarian
All the individuals have equal rank
