Chapter 5 Animal Behavior Lesson 1 – What is Behavior?

The Behavior of Animals An animal’s behavior consists of all the actions it performs. ex: obtaining food, avoiding predators, and finding a mate. Most behavior is a complex process in which different parts of animals body work together.

Behavior as Response A stimulus is a signal that causes an organism to react in some way. The organism’s reaction to the stimulus is called a response. All animal behaviors are caused by a stimuli. Most behaviors help an animal survive or reproduce.

Behavior by Instinct Animals perform some behaviors by instinct, without being taught. An instinct is a response to s stimulus that is inborn and that an animal performs correctly the first time. Ex: Earthworms crawling away from bright light, spiders spinning a web, birds building a nest.

Learned Behavior Learning is the process that leads to changes in behavior based on practice or experience. Learned behaviors include imprinting, conditioning, trial and error learning and insight learning. All learned behaviors depend in part on inherited traits that have passed from parent to offspring. Ex: lion cubs inherit physical features and instincts that are necessary for hunting. Like paws and pouncing

Imprinting Imprinting is a learned behavior. In imprinting newly hatched birds and newborn mammals recognize and follow the first moving objects they see. This object is usually their mother. Once imprinting takes place, it cannot be changed. Imprinting is valuable for 2 reasons: 1) it keeps young animals close to their mothers, who know where to find food and stay away from predators. 2) allows young animals to learn what other animals of their own species look like.

Conditioning Learning that a particular stimulus or response leads to a good or bad outcome is called conditioning. Pets are often trained using a form of conditioning. During the early 1900s, the Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov formed experiments involving one kind of conditioning.

Trial and Error Learning One form of conditioning is trial and error learning. In trial and error learning, an animal learns to perform a behavior more and more skillfully. Through repeated practice, and animal learns to repeat behaviors that result in rewards and avoid behaviors that result in punishment. Many animals learn by trial and error which methods are best for obtaining food.

Insight Learning When you solve a problem or learn how to do something new by applying what you already know, without a period of trial and error, you are using insight learning. Insight learning is most common in primates, such as gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans.