What is learned behaviour?

Learned behaviour is behaviour that has been modified as a result of the animal's own experience, so it differs between individuals of the same species.

Give one advantage and one disadvantage of learned behaviour.

It allows an animal to adjust its response to a changing or unpredictable environment, but it takes time and energy to acquire and the animal may come to harm while it is still learning.

Habituation is a gradual reduction, and finally a loss, of the response to a stimulus that is repeated many times and brings neither reward nor harm.

Why is habituation an advantage?

Responding costs time and energy and interrupts feeding, so ignoring a harmless repeated stimulus leaves the animal free to feed and still alert to stimuli that matter.

Eduqas A-Level Biology A400QS

Biological Molecules

Topic overview Inorganic ions and the properties of water Monosaccharides and disaccharides Polysaccharides, storage and structure Lipids, triglycerides and phospholipids Amino acids and protein structure Condensation, hydrolysis and the food tests

Cell Structure and Organisation

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Enzymes

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Nucleic Acids and Their Functions

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Inheritance

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The Nervous System

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Human Musculoskeletal Anatomy: Skeletal TissuesMusculoskeletal

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Human Musculoskeletal Anatomy: JointsMusculoskeletal

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Neurobiology and Behaviour: The BrainNeurobiology

Topic overview The structure of the human brain The functions of the cerebrum, cerebellum and medulla oblongata The hypothalamus and the control of the endocrine system The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems Sensory and motor areas, the homunculus and language

Neurobiology and Behaviour: NeuroscienceNeurobiology

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Neurobiology and Behaviour: BehaviourNeurobiology

Topic overview Innate behaviour: escape reflexes, kineses and taxes Habituation and imprinting Classical and operant conditioning Primate societies and the costs and benefits of group living Insect castes, dominance hierarchies, territory and courtship

Neurobiology and Behaviour: Behaviour

Habituation and imprinting

3 things to know
Component 3

Overview

Learned behaviour, survival advantage of imprinting and sexual imprinting.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

How can habituation be distinguished from muscular fatigue or sensory adaptation?

Key term

What is habituation?

Key term

Give an example of habituation.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is learned behaviour?
Model answer
Learned behaviour is behaviour that has been modified as a result of the animal's own experience, so it differs between individuals of the same species.
2
Give one advantage and one disadvantage of learned behaviour.
Model answer
It allows an animal to adjust its response to a changing or unpredictable environment, but it takes time and energy to acquire and the animal may come to harm while it is still learning.
3
What is habituation?
Model answer
Habituation is a gradual reduction, and finally a loss, of the response to a stimulus that is repeated many times and brings neither reward nor harm.
4
Give an example of habituation.
Model answer
Birds that at first fly away from a scarecrow soon ignore it and feed beside it.
5
Why is habituation an advantage?
Model answer
Responding costs time and energy and interrupts feeding, so ignoring a harmless repeated stimulus leaves the animal free to feed and still alert to stimuli that matter.
6
How can habituation be distinguished from muscular fatigue or sensory adaptation?
Model answer
In habituation the receptor and the muscle are still working perfectly, so a different stimulus applied at once produces the full response, and the change lies in the pathway between them.

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