 | Term | Definition |
| |
behavior |
way an organism reacts to changes in its internal or external environment |
| |
stimulus |
signal to which an organism responds |
| |
response |
single, specific reaction to a stimulus |
| |
innate behavior |
instinct, or inborn behavior; appears in fully functional form the first time it is performed |
| |
learning |
alterations in behavior as a result of experience; acquired behavior |
| |
habituation |
when an animal decreases or stops its response to a repetitive stimulus that neither rewards or harms it |
| |
classical conditioning |
when an animal makes a mental connection betwen a stimulus and some kind or reward or punishment |
| |
operant conditioning |
when an animal learns to behave in a certain way through repeated practice; trial-and-error learning |
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insight learning |
reasoning; when an animal applies something it has already learned to a new situation without a period of trial and error |
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imprinting |
learning based on early experience; once it has occurred, it cannot be changed |
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migration |
periodic movement and return of animals from one place to another |
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circadian rhythm |
behavioral cycle that occurs in a daily pattern |
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courtship |
when an animal sends out stimuli in order to attract a member of the opposite sex |
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territory |
specific area occupied and protected by an animal or group of animals |
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aggression |
threatening behavior that one animal uses to gain control over another |
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communication |
passing of information from one organism to another |
| |
language |
system of communication that combines sounds, symbols, or gestures according to a set of rules |
