Psychology 346IC

CLASSICAL ETHOLOGICAL THEORY: KONRAD LORENZ, NIKO TINBERGEN

MUCH OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR IS INSTINCTIVE

INSTINCTIVE BEHAVIOR = :
1.) BEHAVIOR OCCURS IN ALL MEMBERS OF SPECIES
(= SPECIES-TYPICAL BEHAVIOR)
2.) NO LEARNING REQUIRED; OFTEN BEHAVIOR CAN DEVELOP WITHOUT ANIMAL EVER EXPERIENCING OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SPECIES
3.) STEREOTYPED BEHAVIOR

Example: Spider webs. All spiders of a certain species are able to spin their particular type of web. They don't learn this by classical conditioning, operant conditioning, or social learning. Young spiders may never see other members of the same species, but they are able to spin a web as soon as necessary when they reach the appropriate developmental stage. Their webs all look basically alike; they are stereotyped.

FIXED OR MODAL ACTION PATTERN (FAP): A SEQUENCE OF BEHAVIORS ELICITED BY A SPECIFIC STIMULUS;
E.G. AGGRESSION IN FIGHTING FISH. When the fighting fish sees the red belly of another male during breeding season while he is defending his territory, he will attack in a stereotyped manner. There are a great many such examples, ranging from mating rituals to parenting behaviors.

INNATE RELEASING MECHANISM (IRM):
AN IRM IS A MECHANISM THAT TRIGGERS AN INNATE SEQUENCE OR PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR AS A RESULT OF PERCEIVING A STIMULUS;

E.G., RED BELLY OF ANOTHER MALE TRIGGERS AGGRESSION IN FIGHTING FISH.
IF IRM PRESENT, THEN FAP WILL BE EMITTED. THE IRM IS A PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISM IN THE FISH. IT RESPONDS TO A CERTAIN STIMULUS, SUCH AS THE RED BELLY OF ANOTHER MALE, AND TRIGGERS A PARTICULAR BEHAVIORAL SEQUENCE, IN THIS CASE, AGGRESSION.

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APPLICATION OF CLASSICAL ETHOLOGICAL THEORY TO HUMANS:

1.) REFLEXES (E. G., SUCKING AS A FAP);

2.) SOCIAL SIGNALING AS AN IRM (E. G., BABY'S SMILING ELICITS SOCIAL PLAY FROM MOTHER;

    BABY'S CRYING ELICITS CARE GIVING). Mother and baby are both seen as designed by natural selection to be able to interact socially and to enjoy social interaction.

3.) Gestures and other non-verbal behavior--posture, eye contact, flirtation, etc. For example, dominant individuals are often

the center of attention and they stand erect and have a confident, relaxed manner. Subordinate individuals and

    depressed people have the opposite social signals. People who are begging adopt submissive poses.

4.) Emotional expressions

METHODOLOGY: NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION; STRONGLY OPPOSED TO LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS UNTIL BASIC NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION COMPLETED. To study children's aggression one must go to the playgrounds and homes

where children can be seen behaving aggressively. Laboratory study comes later.

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IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF ETHOLOGY:

1.) NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION

2.) THINK OF CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR AS INCLUDING A SET OF BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS FOR SURVIVAL OVER EVOLUTIONARY TIME

3.) STUDY BEHAVIORS THAT ALSO OCCUR IN ANIMALS (DOMINANCE,
AGGRESSION, ATTACHMENT);

4.) SENSITIVE PERIOD IDEA.
SENSITIVE PERIOD: PERIOD IN DEVELOPMENT WHEN ORGANISM IS MOST OPEN TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES (I. E., HAS GREATEST PLASTICITY)

                    HIGH

PLASTICITY

                    LOW              ______________________________
                                                                AGE

 

CRITICAL PERIOD: SAME AS SENSITIVE PERIOD, BUT THE TIME FRAME IS SHARPLY RESTRICTED

                    HIGH

PLASTICITY

                    LOW             ______________________________
                                                                AGE

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Sensitive periods for  alcohol during fetal development.

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ETHOLOGICAL THEORY HAS GONE BEYOND THE CLASSICAL THEORY, ESPECIALLY WITH JOHN BOWLBY'S ATTACHMENT

THEORY. BOWLBY'S THEORY INCORPORATES ETHOLOGICAL IDEAS BUT ALSO LEARNING MECHANISMS

AND INFORMATION PROCESSING MECHANISMS. IT IS A HYBRID THEORY. WE WILL DISCUSS THIS LATER IN THE COURSE.

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