CPA Animal Behavior & Psychology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which conditioning technique uses an unpleasant stimulus to reduce an unwanted behavior in animals?
- Positive reinforcement
- Negative punishment
- Aversive conditioning (Correct answer)
- Shaping
Correct answer: Aversive conditioning
Aversive conditioning pairs an unpleasant stimulus with an unwanted behavior to discourage its recurrence.
Question 2: What term describes a fixed sequence of behaviors triggered automatically by a specific stimulus in animals?
- Habituation response
- Fixed action pattern (Correct answer)
- Operant reflex
- Classical chain
Correct answer: Fixed action pattern
A fixed action pattern (FAP) is an instinctive behavioral sequence that runs to completion once triggered by a sign stimulus.
Question 3: A dog that stops reacting to the sound of a doorbell after repeated exposures without consequence is demonstrating:
- Extinction
- Sensitization
- Habituation (Correct answer)
- Counter-conditioning
Correct answer: Habituation
Habituation is the decline in response to a repeated, inconsequential stimulus over time.
Question 4: Which hormone is most directly associated with triggering aggressive and territorial behavior in many male animals?
- Cortisol
- Oxytocin
- Testosterone (Correct answer)
- Melatonin
Correct answer: Testosterone
Testosterone promotes aggressive and territorial behaviors in many male vertebrates, particularly during breeding seasons.
Question 5: What is 'displacement behavior' in animal psychology?
- Migration to a new habitat
- Performing an irrelevant behavior when in conflict (Correct answer)
- Replacing one learned behavior with another
- Predator avoidance through camouflage
Correct answer: Performing an irrelevant behavior when in conflict
Displacement behavior occurs when an animal in a conflict situation performs an apparently irrelevant act, such as preening when unsure whether to fight or flee.
Question 6: The alarm call behavior seen in Belding's ground squirrels, where individuals warn others at personal risk, is best explained by:
- Reciprocal altruism
- Mutualism
- Kin selection (Correct answer)
- Group competition
Correct answer: Kin selection
Kin selection theory explains self-sacrificing alarm calls because the caller shares genes with nearby relatives who benefit from the warning.
Question 7: Which concept describes an animal's tendency to return to a specific area for feeding, resting, or breeding?
- Migration
- Home range (Correct answer)
- Dispersal
- Philopatry
Correct answer: Home range
A home range is the area an animal routinely uses for its daily activities, including foraging, sleeping, and reproducing.
CPA Animal Behavior & Psychology 2
Which conditioning technique uses an unpleasant stimulus to reduce an unwanted behavior in animals?