Download Learning is behavior based on experience

Learning is behavior based
on experience
3.3
Habituation
A change in an animals behavior resulting
from experience is called learning.
 Habituation – an animal learns not to
respond to a repeated stimulus that is of little
importance.
 The animals’ sensory organ detects the
stimulus but the animal does not pay
attention to it.
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How is habituation beneficial???
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Hypothesis: Habituation allows an animal’s
nervous system to focus on stimuli that
signal food, mates, or danger, and not waste
time or energy on other, less important
stimuli.
Imprinting
Imprinting – learning that is limited to a
specific time period.
 Usually irreversible
 Can also take place during a time in an
animal’s development called a critical
learning period.
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Conditioning
Learning that a stimulus or a response is
linked to a reward or punishment is called
conditioning.
 Classical conditioning is learning where a
meaningless stimulus, such as a hand
signal to a dog, is associated with reward or
punishment.
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Operant conditioning is were an animal
learns to associate one of its own behavioral
acts with positive or negative behavior.
 Will repeat if positive
 Predators will quickly learn to associate
certain kinds of prey with painful
experiences.
Insight
Insight – ability to respond appropriately to a
new situation; innovation
 This level is above operant conditioning.
 When an animal learns to do something
they would never do in a normal situation.
 Insight contributes to learning but is not a
form of learning.

Play Behavior
Many mammals and some birds engage in
“playful” behavior.
 One thought on the ultimate cause of these
behaviors is that play is type of learning that
allows animals to practice behaviors required
for survival.
 Another thought is that it is for exercise.
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