Animal Behavior Take Home Test

Fred and Joe, two unrelated, mature male gorillas, encounter one another. Fred is courting a female. Fred grunts as Joe comes near. As Joe continues to advance, Fred begins drumming (pounding his chest) and bares his teeth. At this, Joe rolls on the ground on his back, then gets up and quickly leaves. This behavioral pattern is repeated several times during the mating season. Choose the most specific behavior described by this example. a) agonistic behavior b) territorial behavior c) learned behavior d) social behavior e) fixed-action pattern

a) agonistic behavior

Which of the following is LEAST related to the others? a) fixed action pattern b) imprinting c) operant conditioning d) classical conditioning e) habituation

a) fixed action pattern

A stickleback fish will attack a model fish as long as the model has red color a) fixed action pattern releaser b) habituation c) imprinting d) classic conditioning e) operant conditioning

a) fixed action pattern releaser

Paternal protective behavior in turkeys is triggered by the cheeping sound produced by the young chicks a) fixed action pattern releaser b) habituation c) imprinting d) classic conditioning e) operant conditioning

a) fixed action pattern releaser

Both automatic responses and instinctive behaviors are indirectly controlled by a) genes b) reflexes c) insight d) trial-and-error learning

a) genes

If young male zebra finches are raised by foster parents of another species, the Bengalese finch, they will count the female Bengalese finches instead of the females of their own species. This behavior results from which of the following? a) imprinting b) habituation c) conditioning d) reinforcement e) pheromones

a) imprinting

This form of behavior develops during a genetically programmed sensitive period. a) imprinting b) habituation c) conditioning d) exploratory behavior e) insight learning

a) imprinting

Communication is a) innate and learned b) accomplished only by mammals c) innate only d) learned only

a) innate and learned

Which of the following is TRUE about imprinting? a) it may be triggered by visual or chemical stimuli b) it happens to many adult animals, but not to their young c) it is a type of learning involving no innate behavior d) it occurs only in birds e) it causes behaviors that last for only a short time (the critical period)

a) it may be triggered by visual or chemical stimuli

You look around the room during a test. You see that many students are rapidly tapping their feet, drumming on their desks with their pencils, frequently changing position in their chairs, etc... These activities can be best described as a) kineses b) taxes c) fixed action patterns d) A, B e) A, B, C

a) kineses

The presence of altruistic behavior in animals is most likely due to kin selection, a theory that maintains that a) Aggression between sexes promotes the survival of the fittest individuals b) Genes enhance survival of copies of themselves by directing organisms to assist others who share those genes c) Companionship is advantageous to animals because in the future they can help each other d) Critical thinking abilites are normal traits for animals and they have arisen, like other triats, through natural selection e) natural selection has generally favored the evolution of exaggerated aggressive and submissive behaviors to resolve conflict without grave harm to participants

b) Genes enhance survival of copies of themselves by directing organisms to assist others who share those genes

In the territorial behavior of the stickleback fish, the red belly of one male elicits attack from another male by functioning as a) a pheromone b) a releaser c) a Zeitgeber d) a search image e) an imprint stimulus

b) a releaser

Learning in which an animal uses previous experience to respond to a new situation is called a) trial-and-error learning b) cognitive insight c) imprinting d) conditioning

b) cognitive insight

Some male mosquitoes locate females by the sound of their wings during flight When this sound is played over a cage with male mosquitoes, they will immediately fly to the source of the sound and thrust their abdomens. Which of the following best describes this? a) the male learns to associate the sound with a female are thus attracted to it b) copulation is a fixed action pattern and the female flight sound is its releaser c) the sound from the earphone irritted the male mosquitos, causing them to attempt to sting it d) the reproductive drive is so strong that when males are deprived of females, they will attempt to mate with anything that has even the slightest female characteristic e) through classical conditioning, the male mosquito have associated the inappropriate stimulus from the earphone with the normal response of copulation

b) copulation is a fixed action pattern and the female flight sound is its releaser

Male insects attempt to mate with orchids but eventually stop responding to them a) fixed action pattern releaser b) habituation c) imprinting d) classic conditioning e) operant conditioning

b) habituation

A type of learning that can occur only during a brief period of early life and results in a behavior that is difficult to modify through later experiences is called a) insight b) imprinting c) habituation d) operant conditioning e) trial-and-error learning

b) imprinting

Which of the following is LEAST related to others? a) fixed action pattern b) imprinting c) instinct d) taxis e) kinesis

b) imprinting

Animals tend to maximize their energy intake-to-expenditure ratio. What is this behavior called? a) agonistic behavior b) optimal foraging c) dominance hierarchies d) animal cognition e) territoriality

b) optimal foraging

All of the following statements about learning and behavior are correct EXCEPT: a) Insight learning involves the ability to reason. b) Associative learning involves linking one stimulus with another. c) Operant conditioning is a type of innate behavior that involves drive d) Behavior can be modified by learning, but some apparent learning is due to maturation e) Imprinting is a learned behavior with an innate component acquired during a critical period

c) Operant conditioning is a type of innate behavior that involves drive

A chemical produced by an animal that elicits a specific response by another animal of the same is called a) a marker b) an inducer c) a pheromone d) an imprinter e) an agonistic channel

c) a pheromone

Learning in which a new sign stimulus may be used to elicit the same behavioral response as the original sign stimulus is called a) concept formation b) trial and error c) classical conditioning d) training e) habituation

c) classical conditioning

A porpoise learns to do a somersault above the water whenever a fish is presented to the porpoise by its trainers a) imprinting b) habituation c) conditioning d) exploratory behavior e) insight learning

c) conditioning

A returning salmon goes back to its own home stream to spawn a) fixed action pattern releaser b) habituation c) imprinting d) classic conditioning e) operant conditioning

c) imprinting

Sparrows are receptive to learning songs only during a critical period a) fixed action pattern releaser b) habituation c) imprinting d) classic conditioning e) operant conditioning

c) imprinting

Movement of fruit flies to the top of a rearing chamber is an example of a) postiive geotaxis b) negative chemotaxis c) negative geotaxis d) phototropism

c) negative geotaxis

Which of the following would you classify as habituation? a) You enter a room and hear the motor of a fan. After a period of time, you are no longer aware of the sound of the fan motor. b) You are driving your car and you hear a horn blow. You step on the brakes, but see that it is someone on a side street. So, you resume your previous speed. c) You are sitting in a room and suddenly hear a steady beep-beep-beep. You look out the window and see a garbage truck backing up, a week later you hear the same beep-beep-beep but don't bother to look out the window. d) A, C are correct e) A, B, C are correct

d) A, C are correct

When a bag of potato chips is moved in the kitchen, Shadow the dog comes running to the person with the bag. He stops and sits perfectly still, salivating profusely and looking at the person with the bag. Shadow will then get a potato chip. Which of the following types of behavior is (are) involved here? a) fixed action patterns b) classical conditioning c) operant conditioning d) B, C e) A,B,C

d) B, C

This type of learning that causes specially trained dogs to salivate when they hear bells is called a) insight b) imprinting c) habituation d) classical conditioning e) trial-and-error learning

d) classical conditioning

Ducklings and goslings begin to follow and congregate around whatever moving animals or inanimate object is presented to them withing a few hours after hatching. This type of behavior is called a) unlearned b) trial and error c) habituation d) imprinting e) insight

d) imprinting

Movement that is directed towards a light source is called a) positive geotaxis b) kinesis c) negative chemotaxis d) positive phototaxis

d) positive phototaxis

A young chimpanzee watches a caretaker use a tool to obtain food. When given the opportunity, the chimpanzee immediately mimics the caretaker and uses the tool to obtain a snack. This is an example of a) trial-and-error learning b) operant conditioning c) classical conditioning d) social learning

d) social learning

Which of the following statements is (are) TRUE of fixed action patterns? a) They are highly stereotyped, instinctive behaviors b) They are triggered by sign stimuli in the environment and, once begun, are continued to completion c) a super normal stimulus often produces a stronger response d) A, B are correct e) A, B, C are correct

e) A, B, C are correct

Jim's dog barks too much, he tells you that the only way he can get his dog to stop barking is to give it a treat. Which of the following might you use to explain what has happened to your friend? a) b) The dog considers Jim a rival dog, and so Jim needs to roll on his back as an appeasement display c) The dog is trying to protect Jim from something it thinks is harmful. Jim needs to identify what the stimulus is and get rid of it. d) Classical conditioning. Some inappropriate stimulus has become associated with barking. e) Operant conditioning. Every time the dog barks, Jim rewards it with a treat. Thus, the dog will bark more to get more treats.

e) Operant conditioning. Every time the dog barks, Jim rewards it with a treat. Thus, the dog will bark more to get more treats.

A highly specific sign stimulus that functions as a signal that triggers a certain behavior in another member of the same species is called a) a ritual b) a releaser c) a search image d) an agonistic sign e) a fixed-action stimulus

e) a fixed-action stimulus

The red underbelly of a male stickleback, which induces the aggressive behavior of another male during the breeding season is called a) a conditioned reflex b) a fixed action pattern c) an instinct d) a reinforcer e) a releaser

e) a releaser

Learning to ignore an unimportant stimulus is called a) adapting b) spacing c) conditioning d) imprinting e) habituation

e) habituation

Tits (chickadee-like birds) learn to peck through the paper tops of milk bottles left on doorsteps and drink the cream from the top. a) fixed action pattern releaser b) habituation c) imprinting d) classic conditioning e) operant conditioning

e) operant conditioning

Feeding behavior that has a high energy intake-to-expenditure ratio is called a) herbivory b) autotrophy c) heterotrophy d) search scavenging e) optimal foraging

e) optimal foraging

Which of the following is LEAST related to the others? a) releaser b) pheromones c) sign stimulus d) hormones e) search image

e) search image

Which of the following types of behavior describes the way that mice find their way through mazes? a) habituation b) imprinting c) reasoning d) instinct e) trial-and-error

e) trial-and-error