Learned Behavior: Definition and Examples in Animals

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🧠 Learned behavior is a change in behavior resulting from experience.
• 🐾 It contrasts with innate behaviors, which are genetically programmed.
• 🍎 Types of learned behavior include: habituation, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning.
• 🐕 Habituation: Decreasing response to a repeated stimulus (e.g., a dog getting used to the sound of traffic).
• 🔔 Classical Conditioning: Associating a neutral stimulus with a significant one (Pavlov's dogs).
• ➕ Operant Conditioning: Learning through consequences (rewards and punishments).
• 🐒 Observational Learning: Learning by watching others (e.g., a monkey learning to use a tool by watching another monkey).

🧪 Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following is the BEST definition of learned behavior?
   1. A behavior that is genetically determined.
   2. A behavior that changes due to experience.
   3. A behavior that is present from birth.
   4. A behavior that is only observed in humans.
2. What type of learning is demonstrated when a dog salivates at the sound of a bell after the bell has been repeatedly paired with food?
   1. Habituation
   2. Operant Conditioning
   3. Classical Conditioning
   4. Observational Learning
3. A bird initially startled by a scarecrow in a field eventually ignores it. This is an example of:
   1. Classical Conditioning
   2. Operant Conditioning
   3. Habituation
   4. Imprinting
4. Which type of learning involves associating a behavior with a consequence?
   1. Habituation
   2. Classical Conditioning
   3. Operant Conditioning
   4. Observational Learning
5. A monkey learns to open a coconut by watching another monkey do it. This is an example of:
   1. Habituation
   2. Classical Conditioning
   3. Operant Conditioning
   4. Observational Learning
6. Which of the following is an example of operant conditioning?
   1. A rat pressing a lever to receive a food pellet.
   2. A fish swimming towards a bright light.
   3. A baby bird opening its mouth when it sees its mother.
   4. A plant growing towards sunlight.
7. What is the key difference between learned behavior and innate behavior?
   1. Learned behavior is genetically determined, while innate behavior is not.
   2. Learned behavior changes with experience, while innate behavior is genetically determined.
   3. Innate behavior is more complex than learned behavior.
   4. Learned behavior is only found in mammals.