Innate and Learned Behavior YEAR 10 SCIENCE LIFE - PSYCHOLOGY

 A behaviour is any observable action made by a living person  Examples include; walking, crying, blinking, eating etc.  All of these activities can be seen, this means they can be observed. Behaviour

Innate vs Learned Behaviour Behavior can be regarded as being either Innate: “inborn” behaviors, those that are genetically predetermined, occur in all members of a species Learned: behaviors that develop or change as a result of experience

Innate Behaviour Include: Rhythmic – Feeding and Migration Communication Reproductive Competitive Dominance Hierarchies Territoriality

Rhythmic Behaviors Rhythmic behaviors are those that animals repeat at regular intervals (eg: daily, seasonally, tidally, yearly etc) Sleep – nocturnal (night)or diurnal(day) Hibernation Feeding Migration Spawning and other breeding behaviors

Rhythmic Behaviors – Feeding The ability of an organism to find food, and the way they go about doing this is an example of Rhythmic Behavior Can be Individual or Social (group)

Rhythmic Behaviors – Migration The movement of large numbers of animals of one species from one area to another, and the subsequent return home. Is generally seasonal Migrate for resources – food, nesting areas This movement can be many km

Communication Communication via touch, posture, sound, visual display or chemical signals are examples of Innate behaviors Communication occurs in response to a Stimulus

Competition Animals will complete for: Food Space for nesting and shelter Mates Water

Social Hierarchies In group situations, animals will often fight to establish a pecking order Once an individual knows its order in the group, fighting is reduced Higher up in the pecking order = greater access to food, mating partners

Territorial Behavior Animals select a territory and defend against others for a number of reasons Food Mates Nesting sites Space

Learnt Behaviour Include: Classical Conditioning Operant Conditioning (Trial and error) Habituation Insight Imprinting

Classical Conditioning  Often referred to as Associative Learning  First stimulus initiates an innate response (food → salivation), Second stimulus (bell) wouldn’t usually initiate a response but animal has learnt to associate second stimulus with first  Reward follows the stimulus

Operant Conditioning trial and error Often referred to as “Trial and Error” learning Behavior is a conditioned response as a result of a reward Eg: Stimulus – hunger Action – pressing bar Reward - food

Habituation The ability to “get used to” a repeated stimulus, such as noise Eg: dogs may need habituation to thunderstorms or fireworks if they are afraid Video – habituation in the laboratory

Insight Insight learning is in a sense the “highest form” of learning observed. It is the ability to problem solve or to perform a correct or appropriate behaviour the first time the animal is exposed to a situation. Most highly developed in more intelligent species eg: humans, chimpanzees, and in some birds (eg ravens, pigeons) Insight learning: Chimpanzee Problem Solving

Imprinting A newly hatched or newborn animal is able to recognize its own parents from among other individuals of the same species. Helps to ensure that the young will not become separated from their parents, and in determining behaviour later in life (such as courtship and mating) Imprinting occurs during a sensitive period shortly after hatching, corresponding to a time when the young are unlikely to encounter adults other than their parents.

Examples INNATE BEHAVIOUR o sleeping o reproductive behaviours o daily eating o territoriality o ticklishness LEARNT BEHAVIOUR o operant conditioning o imprinting o habituation o ignore barking dog o playing sport or instrument