Animal Behavior Exam 3

Environment

What causes behavior?

Stimulus

What causes response?

Response

An instance of behavior

independent variable

Stimulus is also known as an…

Dependent variable

Response is also known as a…

Functional relationship

the relationship between the stimulus and the response

Behavior analysis

The study of the relationship between stimulus and response

Respondent and operant

Two types of behavior

Classical and pavlovian

Respondent techniques

Elicited behaviors

A behavior that is drawn out by a preceding stimulus (ie REFLEX) - often closely tied to survival

Threshold

Elicited behavior: The intensity at which a stimulus will reliably elicit a response

Intensity-Magnitude

Elicited behavior: an increase of the stimulus (slapping a table) results in an increased response magnitude (jumping)

Latency

An increase in stimulus intensity leads to a decrease in the LATENCY of the response (a bigger stimulus = a quicker response)

Fixed action pattern

A series of responses from a specific stimulus - ONCE TRIGGERED, must go through entire sequence

Flexible action pattern

A series of responses elicited by a specific stimulus, can be changed/interrupted

Habituation

A decrease in the strength of the elicited response following repeated presentations of the stimulus (can be long term or short term) - STIMULUS SPECIFIC

Dishabituation

The response reappears after a seemingly unrelated event (IRRELIVANT STIMULUS)

Sensitization

Increase in the strength of the elicited response following repeated presentations of the stimulus (GENERALIZES TO OTHER STIMULUS) (PTSD)

How to habituate

Regular, lower-intensity stimuli, specific to exposed stimulus, long-term habituation can last a long time

How to sensitize

Irregular, high-intensity stimulus, GENERALIZES to other stimuli, not usually long lasting

Appetitive stimulus

Event that an organism will seek out

Aversive stimulus

Event that an organism will avoid

Motivating operation

Any procedure that affects the appetitiveness or aversiveness of an event (ie HUNGER before using FOOD to train a dog)

Classical conditioning

Also known as “pavlovian conditioning”, discovered during a study on dog digestion, coined “psychic stomach secretions” before understanding what it was

Unconditioned stimulus

Stimulus that produces a response prior to training

Unconditioned response

Response to the Unconditioned Stimulus, occurs PRIOR to training

Conditioned stimulus

Initially neutral stimulus paired with the Unconditioned Stimulus (ie, BELL SOUND)

Conditioned Response

Response to the Conditioned Stimulus that only develops after the Conditioned Stimulus and Unconditioned Stimulus have been repeatedly paired

Extinction

Weakened to eliminated when conditioned stimulus is repeated without unconditioned stimulus (food)

Spontaneous recovery

Spontaneous recovery of a conditioned response after extinction

Generalization

Tendency for a CR to occur in the presence of a stimulus that is SIMILAR to the CR

Discrimination

Tendency for a response to be elicited MORE by ONE stimulus than another

Simultaneous

Simultaneous onset of neutral and unconditioned stimulus

Delayed

(MOST EFFECTIVE!!!) Neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus OVERLAP

Trace

NO OVERLAP between neutral and unconditioned stimulus

Backward

Unconditioned stimulus comes before neutral stimulus (food first, THEN bell)

Petting

In the dog preference paper, which appeasement behavior did dogs ALWAYS prefer?

No

Did dogs show satiation from petting?

Scent marking (cheek rubs, head bunting), urine/anal gland secretions, facial pheromones, social olfactory cues from conspecifics/humans.

What kinds of chemical signals are relevant for cats?

Inappropriate elimination (litter box issues) and unwanted scratching; also anxiety in shelters/clinics, poor human–cat bonding.

Name two applied behavior issues in cats that scent/chemical signal understanding may help address.