PSYC 2330 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Fixed Action Pattern, Reflex Arc, Efferent Nerve Fiber

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 2330
• Professor: Francesco Leri

Document Summary

Reflex eliciting stimulus and corresponding response, both are linked. Reflex arc afferent neuron, interneuron and efferent neuron, in vertebrates it is the fewest neural connections necessary but more neural structures may be involved. Evident in nursing if the nostrils are blocked: milk letdown reflex is stimulated by sucking at first but then can be elicited simply by the time of day. Some forms of eliciting behaviour appear in only some species or groups of species. Modal action patterns (maps): response sequences that are typical of a particular species. Threshold for eliciting the activities varies, the stimulus can have very many different effects depends on physiological state of the animal and its actions. Action patterns are not performed in the same way each time before they were called fixed action patterns but that was revised. Stimulus responsible for modal action pattern is not always obvious. Sign stimulus/releasing stimulus: specific features found to be required to elicit the behaviour.