Non-associative Learning

Question 1

What is non-associative learning?

Answer 1

Animal changes response to a stimulus without association with a positive or negative outcome.

Question 2

State an example of habituation.

Answer 2

Zoo animals habituate to enrichment and lose interest in it.

Question 3

What is sensitisation? State an example.

Answer 3

Animals response to a stimulus increases after repeated exposure.
Plays a role in classical conditioning.
Dogs becoming agitated with the sound of fireworks.

Question 4

What is desensitisation?

Answer 4

Behaviour modification technique that is used to get animals used to certain stimuli, such as loud noises or other animals.

Question 5

How can desensitisation be used in training?

Answer 5

Exposing the animal to low levels of the trigger stimulus so the response is minimal. Stimulus level is slowly increased until there is no intense response.
Use of positive reinforcement to help.

Question 6

How can training be applied to rescue/stray animals?

Answer 6

May have negative associations with human interaction due to abuse or neglect - gradually increased human interactions to form positive associations from experiences such as frequent handling.
Eventually have a positive reaction to strangers, aiding the rehoming process.