Ch. 34.1
BEHAVIOR the way an organism reacts to changes in its internal condition or external environment Behaviors can be simple or complex depending on the situation STIMULUS any kind of signal that carries information and can be detected RESPONSE single, specific rxn to the stimulus
Light, sound, odors, heat Not every animal can detect these We can’t hear sounds that bats or dogs can
Responses vary greatly; animals have different sensory abilities Body systems all interact as a result of the stimulus If the animal has a ‘simple’ nervous system, the response will be simple and vice versa All responses start at the nervous system
Many behaviors are influenced by genes Some behaviors can evolve under natural selection Behaviors that are influenced by genes can help the organism reproduce and survive
INNATE BEHAVIOR instinct, inborn behavior Fully functional from the 1 st time they are performed Examples?
Behavior must be flexible enough to deal with uncertainty and change Altered behavior = learning Develop over time HABITUATION simplest type of learning; process by which an animal decreases or stops its response to a repetitive stimulus that neither rewards or harms the animal
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING associating a mental connection with a stimulus and some kind of reward or punishment PAVLOV’S DOGS OPERANT CONDITIONING learns behavior through practice for reward or punishment (trial and error) SKINNER INSIGHT LEARNING most complicated; reasoning Applies something it has already learned to a new situation
Most behaviors are a combination of innate ability and learning IMPRINTING keeps young animals close to their mothers. Behavior can’t be changed after imprinting Involves innate and learned behavior