Ch 3 Flashcards
Behaviour of simple organisms is more driven by ____ …
Genetics than learning. Learning plays a greater role in more complex species like humans and primates. But, learning does not override all natural behaviour!
Give a few examples of selected traits in domestic animals
Dogs- selected for obedience and bonding.
Cats- inoffensive behaviour and human contact.
Rodents- tolerance to human handling and non-aggressiveness.
What is instinctive behaviour?
Reflexes: innate involuntary stimulus response. Can be simple or complex.
Human Adult Reflexes: breathing, shivering, hand withdrawal, eye blink, knee jerk, salivation, startle response.
Infant Reflexes: rooting and suckling, Babinski (stroke foot and big toe extends upwards), Moro (startle) reflex- throws back head and extends limbs before bringing them back inward, Palmar grasp (when a baby holds one finger), stepping, tonic neck reflex (dabbing).
What is a Fixed Action Pattern and what are the 4 main points?
A FAP is a more complex, coordinated pattern of instinctive behaviour.
- Stereotyped- fixed nature of the response.
- Independent from immediate external control- once initiated it will continue until completion.
- Spontaneous- individual’s readiness to perform FAP and intensity with which it occurs are positively correlated with time since last evoked; the threshold becomes lower over time.
- Independent from individual learning- many instinctive behavioural patterns occur without opportunity to learn them. Changes in environmental conditions during development do not alter FAP.
Most motivational and emotional traits are governed by …
multiple genes
R and K selected species
R selected species: produce many offspring and invest little in them.
K selected species: invest heavily in a few offspring.
Learning and flexibility
Learning allows adaptation to changing and complex environments within an individual’s lifetime. Ability to learn can be driven by genetics.
Habituation and Sensitization
Habituation: repeated exposure to a stimulus leads to reduced responses to that stimulus.
Sensitization: repeated exposure to a stimulus leads to enhanced responses to that stimulus.
Classical Conditioning and Emotions
A context comes to elicit emotions once it is associated with naturally emotional events. (Like a funeral home and grief)
4 Types of Reinforcement with Examples
- Positive Reinforcement- act followed by introduction of appealing stimulus. Frequency of act increases. (Candy after homework).
- Positive Punishment- act followed by introduction of negative stimulus. Frequency of act decreases. (detention if I misbehave)
- Negative Reinforcement- act followed by removal of negative stimulus. Frequency of act increases. (wearing sunscreen so I don’t burn)
- Negative Punishment- act followed by removal of appealing stimulus. Frequency of act decreases. (no tv if I fight with my brother).
What is extinction?
If an act is no longer reinforced it will decrease in frequency until it no longer occurs.
Physiology of Reinforcement
Natural rewards like food, drink and sex are associated with increased dopamine activity in the nucleus accumbens.
Incentives and Disincentives
Does not require direct experience with rewards or punishments. A cognitive representation of positive or negative consequences can motivate behaviour. I’ve never received a speeding ticket but I still won’t speed because I know it’s a possibility.
Key point of Chapter 3 Assigned Reading- Voles and Human Change
High behavioural flexibility allowed urban voles to adapt to human-induced environmental change more so than rural voles.
