CPA Animal Behavior & Psychology 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the main distinction between 'learning' and 'instinct' in animal behavior?
- Learning is faster than instinct
- Instinct is acquired through experience while learning is innate
- Learning is modified by experience while instinct is genetically programmed (Correct answer)
- Instinct only applies to invertebrates
Correct answer: Learning is modified by experience while instinct is genetically programmed
Instinctive behaviors are genetically encoded and occur without prior experience, while learning involves behavioral changes resulting from experience.
Question 2: In observational learning, animals acquire new behaviors primarily by:
- Trial and error
- Watching and imitating others (Correct answer)
- Genetic inheritance
- Conditioned reflexes
Correct answer: Watching and imitating others
Observational learning (social learning) occurs when an animal watches another perform a behavior and then replicates it.
Question 3: A foraging animal that selects food patches to maximize energy intake while minimizing time spent searching is following:
- The dominance hierarchy principle
- Optimal foraging theory (Correct answer)
- Social facilitation
- Appetitive conditioning
Correct answer: Optimal foraging theory
Optimal foraging theory predicts that animals forage in ways that maximize net energy gain relative to time and effort expended.
Question 4: What term describes the phenomenon where animals perform a behavior better or faster when in the presence of others?
- Social facilitation (Correct answer)
- Mob mentality
- Co-operation effect
- Allelomimetic behavior
Correct answer: Social facilitation
Social facilitation is the enhancement of an organism's performance on tasks in the presence of others.
Question 5: Which type of animal communication uses chemical signals released into the environment to affect the behavior of others of the same species?
- Stridulation
- Pheromones (Correct answer)
- Bioluminescence
- Vibrational signaling
Correct answer: Pheromones
Pheromones are chemical signals that transmit information between members of the same species, influencing behaviors like mating and alarm responses.
Question 6: The concept of 'critical period' in animal development refers to:
- The time when an animal is most aggressive
- A sensitive developmental window during which specific learning must occur (Correct answer)
- The period when migration instincts activate
- The age at which an animal reaches sexual maturity
Correct answer: A sensitive developmental window during which specific learning must occur
A critical period is a specific developmental window during which an animal is particularly sensitive to certain environmental stimuli necessary for normal development.
Question 7: Which motivational model suggests that animals have internal drives that build up over time until a releasing stimulus triggers the behavior?
- Drive reduction theory
- Hydraulic model (Correct answer)
- Incentive theory
- Arousal model
Correct answer: Hydraulic model
Lorenz's hydraulic model proposed that motivational energy accumulates like water in a reservoir until a releasing stimulus triggers the behavior.
CPA Animal Behavior & Psychology 3
What is the main distinction between 'learning' and 'instinct' in animal behavior?