PSYC 4750 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Cognitive Ethology, Basolateral Amygdala, Edward C. Tolman

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 4750
• Professor: Jennifer Murray

Document Summary

Investigating an organism within its natural environment in order to interpret behaviour: ethogram inventory of observed behaviours for a particular species (behaviour has to be operationally defied) Modern ethological approaches: behavioural ecology relation between behaviour and environment, cognitive ethology information processing to guide behaviour, evolutionary psychology behaviour generated by evolved mechanisms. Instinct: genetically programmed behaviour that occurs under appropriate circumstances, requiring no learning, william james, thought instincts are similar to reflexes, me(cid:373)o(cid:396)(cid:455) i(cid:374)te(cid:396)a(cid:272)ts (cid:449)ith e(cid:454)pe(cid:396)ie(cid:374)(cid:272)e so su(cid:271)se(cid:395)ue(cid:374)t (cid:271)eha(cid:448)iou(cid:396) is (cid:374)ot (cid:858)(cid:271)li(cid:374)d(cid:859) Learning can inhibit an instinct (what he called habit) Instincts are active during specific developmental periods (transitory) Learning was not initially exemplified although rats were learning the maze: laid groundwork for cognitive psychology. Imprinting: attachment occurs during a critical (rather sensitive) period (cid:858)pe(cid:396)(cid:373)a(cid:374)e(cid:374)t(cid:859) depe(cid:374)di(cid:374)g o(cid:374) so(cid:373)e e(cid:374)(cid:448)i(cid:396)o(cid:374)(cid:373)e(cid:374)tal fa(cid:272)to(cid:396)s, nidifugous (leaves nest soon after hatching) not as permanent, nidicolous (remains in nest long after hatching) more permanent.