Download Animal Behavior and Learning: Terms, Definitions, and Concepts and more Quizzes Environmental Science in PDF only on Docsity!
What is a behavior (and its causation!)
Defined as the way an animal responds to stimuli in its environment- Proximate causation deals with how the behavior works Psychology
- Ultimate causation deals with why the behavior evolved Animal behavior field TERM 2
Ethology
DEFINITION 2 the study of animal behavior in natural conditions (instinctive nature of animal behavior TERM 3
Behavioral genetics
DEFINITION 3 Investigates the role of genes in behavior-ex. a hybrid species of lovebird exhibited the behavior of carrying nest material that is intermediate between the parents TERM 4
Learning
DEFINITION 4 Animals often alter their behavior as a result of previous experiences, called learning- Non associative learning =simplest type of learning- Habituation is a decreased response to a repeated stimulus TERM 5
Associative learning
DEFINITION 5 Form of learning in which behavior is modified, or conditioned, because of an association- Classical conditioning occurs when paired stimuli are presented, causing the animal to form an association between the stimuliEx. Ivan Povlov's work with dogs Unconditioned stimulus is meat powder, which produces salivating Conditioned stimulus is the sound of a bell, which the dog associates with the meat powder
Operant Conditioning
form of learning in which an animal learns to associate its behavioral response with a reward or punishment B.F Skinner worked with rats exposed to an experimental cage called a "skinner box" TERM 7
Imprinting
DEFINITION 7 As an animal matures, it may form preferences or social attachments to other individuals-process called imprinting and is sometimes considered a type of learning-in filial imprinting, social attachments form between parents and offspring TERM 8
Learning vs. Instinct
DEFINITION 8 Some have innate predispositions toward forming certain associations-Learning only possible within the boundariesPigeons can lean to associate food with colors but not with sounds, and they can associate danger with sounds but not with color TERM 9
Animal Cognitive
DEFINITION 9 Recent research has focused on whether or not animals show cognitive behavior-There are multiple examples of conscious planning, such as tool use TERM 10
Behavioral ecology
DEFINITION 10 The study of how natural selection shapes behavior
Group Communication
Honeybees have an extremely complex dance language that directs nest-mates to rich nectar sources-Karl Von Frisch unraveled the details of the communication system a waggle dance is performed by a scout upon its return to the hive TERM 17
Group living
DEFINITION 17 Altruism is the performance of an action that benefits another indivual at a cost to the actorex. helpers at the nest and guard giving alarm calls TERM 18
Reciprocity
DEFINITION 18 Mutual exchanges of altruistic behaviors benefit both participants (given there are no cheaters) TERM 19
Kin selection
DEFINITION 19 Selection that favors altruism towards relatives TERM 20
Society
DEFINITION 20 A group of organisms of the same species that are organized in a cooperative manner(ants, bees, wasps, termites)
Animal Societies
For the most part, vertebrate social groups are less rigidly organized and cohesive than insect societies-the organization of the group is most influenced by ecological factorsVertebrate societies are usually characterized by a certain size, stability of members, numbers of breeding males and females, and type of mating system
