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Facts About Learned Behaviors of Animals

Much of what animals know is innate behavior, which means developmentally fixed, or instinctual behavior, such as migration in birds or hunting in predators. However, most animals learn at least some of their behavior from their parents, other animals or from human trainers.
  1. Habituation

    • Habituation can be seen more as "unlearning" than true learning. It occurs when animals learn not to respond to something in the way they normally would, such as in response to regularly occurring stimuli. For example, a dog's natural response to the arrival of a new person is to bark and get excited. However, if that dog lives in a place that gets a great deal of foot traffic, the dog's reaction will lessen and ultimately it may not even get up every time someone comes through the door.

    Sensitization

    • Sensitization can be seen as the opposite of habituation. It is behavior that is learned when an action or behavior triggers a positive or negative response. For example, deer or other animals encountering a newly erected electric fence will quickly learn that their normal movement through an area cannot continue because of the new obstacle in their habitat. Although sensitization is used when humans train animals, a good deal of sensitization occurs in the natural environment as animals, especially young ones, explore their surroundings.

    Imprinting

    • Imprinting does not occur in all animals, and it's possible that the triggers that cause imprinting may be instinctive. However, because animals are not born with the information acquired through imprinting, it is still considered a learned behavior. Imprinting occurs most notably in geese. Recently hatched geese will imprint on the first adult goose they see and develop an attachment to it as their mother. It is a curious behavior because the first animal they see does not necessary have to be a goose. Geese and ducklings have been known to imprint on humans. Some monogamous animals also imprint on their mate, which causes them not to recognize other members of their species as potential mates.

    Classical Conditioning

    • Classical conditioning, also known as conditioned response, is the most common form of behavioral learning used in animal training. It is similar to sensitization except that there is a conscious effort made on the part of the trainer to associate certain behaviors with specific responses. In one famous experiment, Russian Psychologist Ivan Pavlov would ring a bell before giving food to dogs. The dogs learned to associate the bell with food to the point that the sound of the bell would cause them to salivate, even if there was no food.


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