ANS 395 : Animal Behaviour Section

What is animal behavior?

An outwardly expressed course of actions in response to stimuli in a given stimulation

What is ethology?

The study of animal behavior

What are the two main points of ethology?

Expression of activity "proximate causation" and Motivation "ultimate causation"

What systems do behavior rely on?

Sensory organs, nervous system, and muscular system

All behavior is based on a _____

stimulus

Stimuli are what?

internal or external observable changes in the environment that elicit an observable response in an animal

A "plastic" phenotypic trait is _____

highly adaptive and quick to show responses to temporal changes in conditions

What are the 3 foundations of behavior?

natural selection, individual learning, cultural transmission

Non-associative learning is _____

When animals change their response to a stimuli without any positive or negative reinforcement

Associative learning is _____

Any learning process in which a new response becomes associated with a particular stimulus

Two experiences that lead to associative learning are _____ and _____

Stimulus-stimulus (classical conditioning) and response-reinforcer (operant conditioning)

Who is Ivan Pavlov (1902) and what did he do?

He was a russian scientist that stumbled across classical conditioning by looking at gastric function in dogs and investigating production of saliva

What was the process of classical conditioning with a bell and a dog? What happened before, during, and after during this conditioning?

Before: a bell is rung and then a dog is given food, which it salivates at

During: repeated process of a bell being rung and then a dog getting food

After: the bell triggering itself will induce salivation on its own

An unconditioned stimulus is

a stimulus that elicits a vigorous response in the absence of training

An unconditioned response is

the natural response when the unconditioned stimulus is presented (aka, an unlearned reaction)

A conditioned stimulus is

a stimulus that initially fails to elicit a particular response but begins to do so when it becomes associated with a second (unconditioned) stimulus

A conditioned response is

when a behavior becomes linked to the original conditional stimulus and the response occurs in the presence of the stimulus

What is generalization? What is an example of generalization?

generalizing the response to things similar to the conditioned stimulus

example: dogs salivating to sounds that are similar to bells if they are conditioned to the bell

What is discrimination in classical conditioning? What is an example of discrimination in this context?

the opposite of generalization where the ability to tell the difference between the conditioned stimulus and similar things

example: dogs not salivating to a horn if they are conditioned to a bell

Extinction in classical conditioning is when you

unpair the conditioned stimulus from the response which is done when the conditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly without the unconditioned stimulus

(TRUE/FALSE)

In classical conditioning the animal does not acquire new responses, it acquires new associations between stimuli

TRUE

(TRUE/FALSE)

In classical conditioning a conditioned response is automatic/reflexive

FALSE, in classical conditioning an unconditioned response is automatic/reflexive

(TRUE/FALSE)

Elicited responses in classical conditioning MUST NOT be something that is below the level of conscious awareness in that animal

FALSE, Elicited responses in classical conditioning MUST be something that is below the level of conscious awareness in that animal

(TRUE/FALSE)

Almost any stimulus can act as a conditioned stimulus as long as it doesn't independently produce a strong response.

TRUE

What is operant conditioning also called?

instrumental conditioning

What is operant conditioning?

learning through consequences of the animal's own actions through trial and error learning

What is an operant?

Skinner's term for a change in behavior resulting from establishing a relationship (association) between a behavior and reinforcing or punishing stimulus

(TRUE/FALSE)

In operant conditioning an animal MUST undertake some action or response for learning to take place.

TRUE

An appetitive stimulus is

any stimulus considered positive, pleasant, or rewarding

Aversive stimuli are

any stimulants that are unpleasant

Operant behavior is behavior modified by its _____

consequences

Operant response is the

behavior the animal performs that is rewarded or punished for

What is a reinforcer vs a punisher in operant conditioning

Reinforcers are events which increase the probability of responses while punishers are events which decrease the probability of a response

(TRUE/FALSE)

A reinforcer is a positive response

FALSE

Both reinforcers and punishers can be positive or negative

What is an example of animal trial and error?

When the cats used different attempts to get out of the box

Who researched trial and error in cats?

Edward Thorndike

What is Thorndike's Law of Effect?

behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

What was the aim of the skinner box?

to create a continuous measure of behavior that can be divided into meaningful units

What did the skinner box do?

An animal was in a box and when it pressed a lever or pecked a dish, there was a small reward of food delivered to the animal (operant response)

What is the difference between positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment?

Positive reinforcement: stimulus being added increases the likelihood of future behavior

Negative reinforcement:

stimulus being removed increases the likelihood of future behavior

Positive punishment: stimulus being added decreases the likelihood of future behavior

Negative punishment: stimulus being removed decreases the likelihood of future behavior

What do reinforcers vs punishers do?

reinforcers make it more likely you will do something again whereas punishers make it less likely you will do something again

What is the goal of reinforcement?

to strengthen the behavior and increase likelihood that it will occur again

What is a schedule of reinforcement?

a rule stating which instances of a behavior will be reinforced

What is the difference between continuous reinforcement schedules and partial reinforcement schedules? Which is better for what circumstances?

Continuous Reinforcement Schedules: The desired behavior is reinforced every time it occurs and is best done during initial stages

Partial Reinforcement Schedules: The response is reinforced only part of the time so only some responses are reinforced. Learned behaviors are acquired more slowly but the response is more resistant to extinction

What is the difference between variable ratios, fixed ratios?

variable ratios: response is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses, there is a high response rate, it is constant, and it is most resistant to extinction

fixed ratios: response is reinforced after a specific number of responses, there is a very high response rate, it is steady with low pauses, and the higher the ratio the more resistance

What is the difference between fixed intervals, and variable intervals?

fixed intervals: first response is rewarded after a specified amount of time has elapsed, there is a moderate response rate, long pauses after reinforcement, the longer the interval the more resistance

variable intervals: reward after an unpredictable amount of time has passed, there is a moderate response rate, there is a steady and uniform response, and there is more resistance than fixed-interval

(TRUE/FALSE)

For reinforcement schedules, unpredictable schedules produce stronger responses than predictable schedules

TRUE

(TRUE/FALSE)

Classical conditioning does not require the animal to form new responses but new associations between stimuli

TRUE

Habituation is

a decrease in behavioral response that results from repeated stimulation that has no overt threat or benefit

Sensitization is the process _____

of becoming very sensitive to a specific event or stimulus

Insight learning is _____

the use of past experiences and reasoning to solve problems resulting in spontaneous development of a novel solution

Latent learning is learning that _____

is not reinforced and not demonstrated until there is motivation to do oso

What is an ethogram and what does it allow for?

A catalog of all behaviors observed in an animal which is clear, objective, comprehensive, and unambiguous

allows for data collection to be repeatable

What are state vs event behaviors in animals?

State behaviors: behavior patterns of long duration that can be measured (onset or termination of state behaviors can be seen as events)

Event behaviors: behavior patterns of short duration which can be approximated as points in time

How do you measure behavior?

frequency, duration, latency, intensity

What is latency?

onset of occurrence of a behavior

Sampling rules vs recording rules are

sampling rules include when and what subjects to watch while recording rules is how the behavior is recorded

What are the four different sampling rules?

Ad libitum sampling, focal sampling, scan sampling, behavior sampling

What is ad libitum sampling and its pros and cons?

no constraints, write down whatever behavior you see

pros: preliminary observations, recording rare behavior

cons: biased towards more obvious behaviors

What is focal sampling and its pros and cons?

observing one animal or litter for a specific amount of time and recording all instances of behavior

pros: understanding one individual, comparing individuals, state behaviors

cons: lose data if focal animal is out of sight

What is scan sampling and its pros and cons?

whole group of subjects is scanned at regular pre-defined intervals and the instant behavior is recorded

pros: allows even representation among individuals

cons: biased towards more dramatic behavior, easy to miss behaviors

What is behavior sampling and its pros and cons?

observer watches the whole group and records each occurrence of a particular behavior

pros: useful for rare significant behavior

cons: biased towards individuals or more dramatic behavior, can only capture behaviors of interest

What are the three different recording rules?

continuous, instantaneous scans, one-zero

What is continuous recording and its pros and cons?

recording all occurrences of behavior (mostly used in focal sampling)

pros: lots of data

cons: laborious, bias if animals are hidden, easy to miss behaviors

What is instantaneous scan recording and its pros and cons?

behavior is samples periodically at pre-defined intervals and you record the behavior you see at the observation point

pros: reasonable estimates, less demanding than continuous, large groups and categories can be recorded

cons: missing behaviors is easy, not as specific

What is one-zero recording and its pros and cons?

recording session is split into pre-defned periods where you record that you saw one behavior or that you did not see that behavior

pros: simple, good for rapid behaviors, good for large groups

cons: restricted by how many individuals you can watch, may over estimate behavior duration, may under estimate frequency

SLIDE 36 WIP

Enrichment is the process of providing _____ animals with ______ to encourage _____

enrichment, stimulation, natural behaviors

Preference tests are tests meant to allow us to understand an animals desire to engage in a certain activity, what are the two types of tests and what they do?

choice tests: animals willingness to engage in an activity

operant tests: animals willingness to pay for choice/activity

What does animal personality impact?

animal survival, how animals interact with other animals and their environments, animal experiences

What can animal personality be captured by?

coding behavior, recording response to novelty, trait rating by knowledgeable informants

What is the primary reason for euthanasia for young, healthy animals?

behavior problems

What is the baby schema effect?

an innate mechanism that causes positive emotional responses and protective instincts with dogs that are more anthropomorphized

What is critical anthropomorphism?

using human needs and emotions as a starting point for considering what animals may need in veterinary

What does normal dog posture look like?

relaxed, ears up, soft expression, neutral tail

What does play soliciting dog posture look like?

elbows not on ground

What does play bow dog posture look like?

butt in the air, elbows on the ground

What does submission dog posture look like?

eyes half closed, ears back, mouth closed but may have tongue slightly out, often a raised paw, low tail with slow wag

What does total submission dog posture look like?

on back with belly exposed, ears back, tail tucked, no eye contact

What does fear submission dog posture look like?

arched back, low ears, tail flattened between legs

What does fear aggression dog posture look like?

body lowered, hair raised, ears back, pupils dilated, nose wrinkled, lips curled, tail tucked

What does dominant aggression dog posture look like?

tail raised, ears forward, hair raised, upright posture, teeth are visible

What does arousal dog posture look like?

eyes large, ears up, teeth displayed, tail up with a stiff wag

What does stress dog posture look like?

tongue flicking, ears back, tail tucked, yawning, leaning away

What is wolf behavior theory?

they are the largest and most social of all candids, one male and one female will breed at a time, there is an alpha male and alpha female

_____ is the most reported category of behaviour problems in domestic dogs

Aggression

(TRUE/FALSE)

Many bites can be avoided if dog owners were better educated about the behavior of their own pets

TRUE

What are the main three normal canine behaviors?

survival, natural selection, and hierarchy

What are some of the types of aggression in dogs?

fear, territorial, protective, maternal, pain related, possessive, redirected, inter-dog, food related, play, predatory, idiopathic

What is the most common type of dominance aggression?

Dominance aggression directed towards humans and dogs

(TRUE/FALSE)

Dominance aggression is typically expressed when dog reacts to a challenge to its social status or loss of control of resources

TRUE

What are ways to curve dominance aggression in dogs?

castration, controlling access to resources, constant training

What are ways to curve possessive aggression in dogs?

have separate resources, only allow toys for short periods of supervised time

What are ways to curve territorial/protective aggression in dogs?

restrict access to areas guarded by dogs, don't tether dogs or encourage guard dogs

What are ways to curve fear aggression in dogs?

training, reward friendly behavior, socializing, dog classes, no shouting and hitting

What are ways to curve separation-related problems in dogs?

separate the dog from the owner slowly for increasing times, pair with a toy to chew

What is 20-30% of dog behavior cases

Separation related problems

What is fear in dogs?

apprehension of a stimulus, object, or event

What is anxiety in dogs?

apprehensive anticipation of a threat meant to broaden the animal's attention

What is phobic fear in dogs?

intense and out of context fear that is "all or nothing" and intense once a threshold is reached