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What Behaviors Can You Observe?. 1. Observe the behavior of baby rats for a few minutes. Write down your observations. Place some food near the animal and observe the animal’s behavior.
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What Behaviors Can You Observe? • 1. Observe the behavior of baby rats for a few minutes. Write down your observations. • Place some food near the animal and observe the animal’s behavior. • If there are other animals in the cage or aquarium, observe how the animals interact—for example, do they groom each other or ignore each other? • Note any other events that seem to make the animal change its behavior. • What are some circumstances under which you would expect an animal’s behavior to change suddenly?
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR WHAT IS BEHAVIOR?
The Behavior of Animals • Behavior • all the actions an animal performs • Avoid predators • Obtain food • Find a mate
Behavior as Response • Stimulus • Signal that causes an organism to react in some way • Response • Reaction to a stimulus • All animal behaviors are caused by a stimulus
The Functions Of Behavior • Help an animal survive • Help an animal reproduce
Behavior by Instinct • Instinct • Response to a stimulus that is inborn and that an animal performs correctly the first time • Ex – earthworm crawls away from light • Ex – baby kangaroo crawls into mother’s pouch • Ex – birds building a nest
Skills Activity • Hawks, which have short necks, prey on gull chicks. Geese, which have long necks, do not prey on the chicks. When newly hatched gull chicks see any bird’s shadow, they instinctively crouch down. As the chicks become older, they continue to crouch when they see the shadow of a hawk, but they learn not to crouch when they see a goose’s shadow. Predict how older gull chicks will behave when they see bird shadows shaped like A, B, and C. Explain your prediction.
Learned Behavior • Learning • The process that leads to changes in behavior based on practice or experience • Imprinting • Conditioning • Trial-and-error learning • Insight learning
Learned Behavior • Not usually done perfect the first time • Part genetic • Ex – lions born with the “tools” for hunting but master hunting skills through experience
Imprinting • Process where newly hatched birds and newborn animals recognize and follow the first moving object they see • Usually the mother • Cannot be changed • Keeps young animals close to their mother • Allows young animals to learn what other animals of their own species look like
Conditioning • learning a particular stimulus or response leads to a good or bad outcome
Little Albert Rats Dogs Bunnies Santa Claus Coats
- What Is Behavior? “A-maze-ing” Mice • A scientist conducted an experiment to find out whether mice would learn to run a maze more quickly if they were given rewards. She set up two identical mazes. In one maze, cheese was placed at the end of the correct route through the maze. No cheese was placed in the second maze.
25 minutes Reading Graphs: On day 1, what was the average time it took mice with the cheese reward to complete the maze? - What Is Behavior? “A-maze-ing” Mice
10 minutes Calculating: On day 6, how much faster did mice with a reward complete the maze than mice without a reward? - What Is Behavior? “A-maze-ing” Mice
Whether a reward of cheese was given; the amount and kind of cheese for the reward should stay the same in repetitions. Interpreting Data: What was the manipulated variable in this experiment? Explain. - What Is Behavior? “A-maze-ing” Mice
After the second day, the rate of learning was faster with a reward given as positive reinforcement; mice learned to run the maze through trial and error; conditioning helped the mice learn that using the correct route through the maze would result in a reward, reinforcing and probably speeding up their response. Drawing Conclusions: Was the rate of learning faster for mice with the cheese reward or without the cheese reward? Explain. - What Is Behavior? “A-maze-ing” Mice
Trial-and-Error Learning • An animal learns to perform a behavior more and more skillfully • Ex – riding a bike • Ex – dog vs. porcupine
Insight Learning • The process of learning how to solve a problem or do something new by applying what is already known • Advanced form of learning • Seen in primates Video – McDougall Littell – Ch. 27 Chimps using tools
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR
Communication • Comes in many forms • Animals use mostly sounds, scents, and body movements • Attract mates • Warning • Location of food
- Patterns of Behavior Communication • These ants are finding their way to the sugar by following a pheromone trail. • Pheromone – chemical released by one animal that affects the behavior of another animal
Competitive Behavior • Animals compete with one another for limited resources such as food, water, space, shelter, and mates
Aggression • Thereatening behavior that one animal uses to gain control over another • Within same species – rarely ends in injury or death
Establishing Territory • Territory • An area that is occupied and defended by an animal or group of animals • Protects resources such as food and mates • May use calls, droppings, scratches or pheremones
Attracting a Mate • Courtship Behavior • Males and females of the same species prepare for mating • Can be competitive • Displays • Calls Video – McDougall Littell – Ch. 27 courtship display