Habituation and Innate Behaviour Patterns Psychology 3306

Innate behaviour Why talk about this in learning? Why talk about this in learning? Well, learning often involves innate behaviour Well, learning often involves innate behaviour Many of the rules are similar Many of the rules are similar Gives some perspective, i.e., not all behaviour is learned Gives some perspective, i.e., not all behaviour is learned

Thermoregulation Set Point EffectorsControlled Variable Feedback Gain: Vasoconstriction Shivering Loss Dilation Sweating panting Feedback mechanisms can be + or – or both

Reflexes Stereotypic in response to a stimulus Stereotypic in response to a stimulus Sensory -> inter -> motor neurons Sensory -> inter -> motor neurons Some quite complex behaviour can come of such simple connections and in relatively simple animals Some quite complex behaviour can come of such simple connections and in relatively simple animals

In a Moth’s Ear…. Moth Ear basically has two neurons A1 and A2 Moth Ear basically has two neurons A1 and A2 They are not frequency sensitive, but do not respond to low frequencies They are not frequency sensitive, but do not respond to low frequencies

Those would be some tiny Q tips…..

Do Moths Have Ear Wax? A1 is responsive to intensity A1 is responsive to intensity More firing with closer bat More firing with closer bat A2 only fires with very loud sounds A2 only fires with very loud sounds A2 fires, bat must be very close A2 fires, bat must be very close

Moths and Bats, Charts and Graphs A1 on the left fires, that wing beats faster A1 on the left fires, that wing beats faster Moth’s course corrects to 180 degrees from bat Moth’s course corrects to 180 degrees from bat So very and totally cool So very and totally cool A2, go crazy A2, go crazy 2 neuron ear can encode where a predator in in 3 dimensional space!!! 2 neuron ear can encode where a predator in in 3 dimensional space!!!

Examples Its not just me that thinks this is way cool Its not just me that thinks this is way cool

Behavioural Sequences Fixed action patterns Fixed action patterns Everyone does it Everyone does it Not prior learning Not prior learning Rigid sequence Rigid sequence

Examples Dust bathing in Burmese Red Junglefowl Dust bathing in Burmese Red Junglefowl Ancestor of our KFC Ancestor of our KFC Function of the behaviour is to clean out oil from the feathers and to get rid of parasites. Function of the behaviour is to clean out oil from the feathers and to get rid of parasites. Some birds bathe in water, others in dust Some birds bathe in water, others in dust

Animal starts out by fluffing up some dust

Next is a bill scratch, which gets the dust up onto the neck

Lots of scratching goes on to work up a bit of a cloud really

Dustbathing This is actually pretty complex beahaviour This is actually pretty complex beahaviour Vestergaard, Hogan and Krujt (1990) found that junglefowl don’t need dust! Vestergaard, Hogan and Krujt (1990) found that junglefowl don’t need dust! Hogan and Van Boxel (1993) found that dustbathing was already rhythmic at 14 days post hatch Hogan and Van Boxel (1993) found that dustbathing was already rhythmic at 14 days post hatch

Etholodgy is cool Reaction chains are sequences of FAPs Reaction chains are sequences of FAPs You can tell it is a reaction chain and not an FAP if the animal can stop the behaviour You can tell it is a reaction chain and not an FAP if the animal can stop the behaviour We have reduced all of ethology down to a few power point slides……. We have reduced all of ethology down to a few power point slides…….

Habituation Decrease in the strength of a response after repeated presentation of a discreet stimulus Decrease in the strength of a response after repeated presentation of a discreet stimulus Getting used to it, sort of Getting used to it, sort of NOT sensory adaptation or simply fatigue NOT sensory adaptation or simply fatigue Stimulus specific Stimulus specific Orienting response Orienting response Startle response Startle response

The rules Thompson and Spencer (1966) Thompson and Spencer (1966) Gradual with time Gradual with time Withhold stimulus and response will reoccur Withhold stimulus and response will reoccur Savings Savings Intensity Intensity Overlearning Overlearning Stimulus generalization Stimulus generalization

Pokin’ aplysisa Kendel et al Kendel et al Gill withdrawal Gill withdrawal Seonsory -> motor pretty much Seonsory -> motor pretty much Less transmitter released into synapses! Less transmitter released into synapses! Decrease in Ca current Decrease in Ca current Similar results in cats Similar results in cats Because of its generality, habituation is often thought of as the universal learning paradigm Because of its generality, habituation is often thought of as the universal learning paradigm