Interactions Between Innate and Learned Behaviours Flashcards
(14 cards)
Why is the nature vs. nurture debate considered a false dichotomy?
Behaviour requires both biological mechanisms (nature) and environmental input (nurture); they interact continuously.
What is epigenetics?
The process by which environmental factors alter gene expression without changing DNA, affecting behaviour and development.
What is a fixed action pattern (FAP)?
A stereotyped, species-specific behaviour that runs to completion once triggered and does not require learning.
What is a sign stimulus (or innate releasing mechanism)?
A specific external cue that triggers a fixed action pattern.
What is a supernormal stimulus?
An exaggerated version of a sign stimulus that elicits a stronger response than the natural version.
What is Tinbergen’s model of instinctive behaviour?
A hierarchical model describing how innate behaviours are organised and triggered:
• Top level: General motivational systems (e.g., hunger, mating) build internal drive based on hormones or circadian rhythms.
• Middle level: Specific action patterns are selected when motivation reaches a threshold; competing behaviours are inhibited.
• Bottom level: Fixed Action Patterns (FAPs) are triggered by external sign stimuli (innate releasing mechanisms) and run to completion.
What is a critical period in development?
A limited window during which specific learning must occur; if missed, the behaviour may not develop normally.
What is imprinting?
A form of learning during a critical period where an animal forms a strong attachment to the first moving object it sees (e.g., Konrad Lorenz’s geese).
What is equipotentiality in learning theory?
The idea that any neutral stimulus can be equally associated with any outcome in conditioning, assuming the brain is a general-purpose learning device; learning depends mainly on contiguity and repetition.
What is biological preparedness in learning theory?
The idea that organisms are predisposed to form certain associations more easily due to evolutionary relevance.
What evidence supports preparedness in fear learning?
• Seligman’s (1971) Preparedness Theory
• Humans more easily fear ancestral threats (e.g., snakes, spiders)
• These fears are more resistant to extinction than modern threats
What is instinctive drift?
The tendency for learned behaviours to revert to instinctive behaviours when motivational drives are activated.
What are species-specific defensive responses (SSDRs)?
Innate defensive behaviours (e.g., freezing, fleeing) that are easily learned in avoidance tasks when aligned with natural instincts.
How do nature and culture interact in shaping behaviour?
• Nature provides urges and competencies
• Culture teaches when and how to act on them
• Behaviour is shaped by both biology and social learning
