Summarizing Behavioral Biology

Summary

Behaviors are responses to stimuli. They can either be instinctual/innate behaviors, which are not influenced by the environment, or learned behaviors, which are influenced by environmental changes. Instinctual behaviors include mating systems and methods of communication. Learned behaviors include imprinting and habituation, conditioning, and, most powerfully, cognitive learning. Although the connection between behavior, genetics, and evolution is well established, the explanation of human behavior as entirely genetic is controversial.

Glossary

aggressive display

visual display by a species member to discourage other members of the same species or different species

behavior

change in an organism’s activities in response to a stimulus

behavioral biology

study of the biology and evolution of behavior

classical conditioning

association of a specific stimulus and response through conditioning

cognitive learning

knowledge and skills acquired by the manipulation of information in the mind

conditioned behavior

behavior that becomes associated with a specific stimulus through conditioning

courtship display

visual display used to attract a mate

distraction display

visual display used to distract predators away from a nesting site

ethology

biological study of animal behavior

fixed action pattern

series of instinctual behaviors that, once initiated, always goes to completion regardless of changes in the environment

foraging

behaviors species use to find food

habituation

ability of a species to ignore repeated stimuli that have no consequence

imprinting

identification of parents by newborns as the first organism they see after birth

innate behavior

instinctual behavior that is not altered by changes in the environment

intersexual selection

selection of a desirable mate of the opposite sex

intrasexual selection

competition between members of the same sex for a mate

kin selection

sacrificing one’s own life so that one’s genes will be passed on to future generations by relatives

kinesis

undirected movement of an organism in response to a stimulus

learned behavior

behavior that responds to changes in the environment

migration

long-range seasonal movement of animal species

monogamy

mating system whereby one male and one female remain coupled for at least one mating season

operant conditioning

learned behaviors in response to positive and/or negative reinforcement

polyandry

mating system where one female mates with many males

polygyny

mating system where one male mates with many females

reflex action

action in response to direct physical stimulation of a nerve

signal

method of communication between animals including those obtained by the senses of smell, hearing, sight, or touch

taxis

directed movement in response to a stimulus