Types of Behavior

Behavior Behavior: the way an organism interacts with other organisms and it’s environment. Example: Wolves are pack animals by nature. They must work together to survive.

Stimulus Battle at Kruger VIDEO Stimulus: anything in the environment that causes a reaction. It can be external or internal. Example: An external stimulus could be a rival male entering another male’s territory. Example: An internal stimulus could be hunger or thirst. Battle at Kruger VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM

Innate Behavior Innate Behavior: A behavior an animal is born with. These behaviors are inherited. An instinct is an example of an innate behavior.

Reflex Actions Video on Reflex Reflex: An automatic response that does not involve a message from the brain. Example: Sneezing, shivering, yawning, jerking your hand away from a hot surface, and blinking your eyes when something is thrown toward you. Video on Reflex http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c7-WnKcLVk

Instincts Instincts: complex patterns of innate behavior. Begins when the animal recognizes a stimulus and continues until all parts of the behavior have been performed. Example: a spider spins a complicated web correctly the first try.

Learned Behavior Orcas learning to hunt Learned Behavior: Behaviors learned through experiences throughout a lifetime. Example: organisms learn which organisms can be harmful to them. Orcas learning to hunt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3xmqbNsRSk

Imprinting Imprinting: occurs when an animal forms a social attachment to another organism within a specific time period after birth or hatching. Example: a mother and her baby.

Trial and Error Trial and Error: refers to behavior that is modified by experiences. Example: chickens pecking grain, riding a bike and tying a shoe are examples of trial and error.

Conditioning Conditioning: when behavior is modified so that a response to one stimulus becomes associated with a different stimulus. Example: Pavlov’s Dog, YOU leaving when the bell rings. DEMO

Insight Insight: is a form of reasoning that allows animals to use past experiences to solve new problems. Example: child stacking books to reach for object that is too high. Using old math techniques to figure out new math problems.