PSYCH 2TT3 Study Guide - Final Guide: Bird Sound, Mate Choice, Anthropomorphism
9 Sep 2013
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Document Summary
Social learning the process of learning by watching others; system of information transfer that affects an individuals behaviour based on what they previously observed. Social learning compared to individual learning faster (avoid trail-and-error), across generations and between individuals (no loss of information in death of individual), rare insight can spread quickly. Many animals show little to no social learning. Anecdotes (weakness - not controlled experiments; inspire experiments) Imo (japanese macaque) sweet potatoes placed on beach; first individual to wash potatoes to remove sand; other monkeys copied behaviour. Only observe stone play in monkeys younger than glance: blue tits milk bottle opening; thick layer of cream at top of milk bottle; birds learned to remove cap; began in england 1920"s. Behaviour spread rapidly social learning probably involved. Not observed in robins low rate of bottle opening; robins are territorial, opposite sex only come together to breed. Types of social learning (contrast to very social blue birds that always interact)
