Animal Behaviour Chapter 1 Study Guide

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Ethology

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Ethology is the scientific study of animal behaviour, usually with a focus on behaviour under natural conditions.

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Charles Darwin

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Charles Darwin was a naturalist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection, which has greatly influenced the study of animal behaviour.

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Niko Tinbergen

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Niko Tinbergen was an ethologist known for his work on animal behaviour and for formulating the four questions framework for studying behaviour.

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Konrad Lorenz

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Konrad Lorenz was an ethologist who is considered one of the founders of modern ethology and is known for his research on imprinting in birds.

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Operant Conditioning

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Operant Conditioning is a form of learning where a behaviour's likelihood is influenced by its consequences. Behaviours followed by a desirable outcome (reinforcement) are more likely to be repeated, while those followed by an undesirable outcome (punishment) are less likely.

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Classical Conditioning

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Classical Conditioning is a type of learning in which a neutral stimulus comes to elicit a response after being paired with a stimulus that naturally causes that response. Pavlov's dogs, who learned to salivate at the sound of a bell because it was associated with food, are the classic example.

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What are the 3 main reasons for behaviour?

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Reproduction, Food, Territory

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List the 2 general types of animal behaviour.

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Instinctive Behaviour and Learned Behaviour.

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What is instinctive behaviour?

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Instinctive behaviours are those that are innate, or genetically programmed. They are often referred to as fixed action patterns (FAPs) because they are stereotyped, predictable sequences of actions that, once triggered, run to completion without conscious control.

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What is habituation in learned behaviour?

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Habituation is the simplest form of learning, where an animal learns to ignore a repetitive, harmless stimulus.