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3: Elicited Behaviors and More

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    Chapter Overview

    In the chapters that follow this one, we will discuss associative and observational learning. Before we do that, we need to address the fact that some types of behavior are innate. To that end, we will discuss elicited behaviors. These include reflexes and modal action patterns. We will then move to a discussion of two types of non-associative learning — habituation and sensitization — and provide evidence for their adaptive advantage.

    Chapter Learning Objectives
    • Explain what elicited behaviors are.
    • Describe reflexes as a type of elicited behavior.
    • Describe modal action patterns as a type of elicited behavior.
    • Differentiate the two types of non-associative learning.

    • 3.1: Elicited Behaviors Defined
      This page explores elicited behaviors, which are natural responses to environmental stimuli that help organisms adapt. It covers reflexes and modal action patterns, examining how repeated exposure influences response strength. The emphasis is on understanding innate behaviors prior to discussing learned behaviors.
    • 3.2: Reflexes
      This page defines and describes reflexes, outlining the reflex arc's role in linking stimuli to responses. It provides examples of human reflexes, especially in infants, like the rooting and Moro reflexes, which support survival. The processing of reflexes through the nervous system is detailed, including the functions of receptor cells, sensory neurons, and interneurons.
    • 3.3: Modal Action Patterns
      This page explores modal action patterns (MAPs), which are species-specific innate responses shaped by genetics and environment. Unlike simple reflexes, MAPs involve the whole organism in survival behaviors such as feeding and mating. The text gives examples from Graylag geese, sticklebacks, bighorn sheep, and gull chicks, and discusses code-breaking, where one species mimics another's signals to gain survival benefits.
    • 3.4: Non-associative Learning
      This page explores non-associative learning, focusing on habituation, which reduces response to repeated stimuli for energy conservation, and sensitization, which increases response due to arousal. It distinguishes these processes from sensory adaptation and response fatigue, detailing their mechanisms via dual-process theory. Additionally, the opponent process theory of emotion is discussed, emphasizing the adaptive benefits of both habituation and sensitization in behavioral responses.
    • 3.5: Chapter Recap
      This page explores innate behaviors like reflexes and modal action patterns, emphasizing natural reactions to stimuli based on individual thresholds. It introduces foundational concepts that will lead into later discussions on associative and observational learning methods.

    This page titled 3: Elicited Behaviors and More is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lee W. Daffin Jr. via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.