PSYCH-UA 25 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Response Bias, Inclusive Fitness, Classical Conditioning
8 Oct 2017
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Pointed out that learned behavior is related to survival as much as unlearned behaviors. The new characteristics of a species that were perpetuated because they helped the organism to survive. Explain the concept of the survival of the fittest. Darwin defined fitness as the ability to produce offspring. Animals that live longer are the ones that produce the most offspring. Length of life is connected to whether or not the animal has characteristics that allows it to effectively interact with the environment. Classical conditioning allows us to learn which stimuli signal the presence (or absence) of biologically significant events. Operant conditioning allows us to learn appropriate reactions to signals. Therefore, survival of the fittest has to do with survival of those animals who have the characteristics that allow them to effectively interact with the environment. An organisms ability to engage in behaviors that perpetuate the genes that they share with other members of the species.
