1. The Nature of Elicited Behavior
Elicited Behavior: Behavior in response to a stimulus
Because of preexisting organization of the nervous system
From the simplest reflexes to the most complex behavior sequences
Reflexes consist of eliciting stimulus and corresponding response
provide rapid behavioral adjustment to environmental events likely to be encountered.
The response rarely occurs in the absence of the stimulus
Reflex Arc (simple reflex) is mediated by minimum of three neurons
Sensory Neuron
Interneuron
Motor Neuron
However not all reflexes are simple reflex arcs with simple circuits
startle reflex
Jump when you hear a loud sound,
requires complex circuits including auditory circuit, processing circuit and motor circuit each of which contains several neurons
More complex behaviors such as running away from a grizzly bear
consists of a combination of reflexes including hormonal, emotional and cognitive processing to the extent that it is difficult to determine the role of reflexes.

2. Figure 2. 1 – Neural organization of simple reflexes
Figure 2.1 – Neural organization of simple reflexes. The environmental stimulus for a reflex activate a sensory neuron, which transmits the sensory message to the spinal cord. Here, the neural impulses are relayed to an interneuron, which in turn relays the impulses to the motor neuron. The motor neuron activates muscles involved in movement.
The Principles of Learning and Behavior, 7e by Michael Domjan
Copyright © 2015 Wadsworth Publishing, a division of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

3. Functional value of some common reflexes
Withdrawal Reflex; pulling away from painful stimulus
Patellar Reflex is a stretch reflex that is part of a large set of proprioceptive signals
Startle reflex (video) is a whole body response to a sudden stimulus
Pupil dilation/contraction in response to light intensity
Much of the behavior repertoire of new infants (sucking, head turning, respiratory occlusion reflex)
Some reflexes in infants disappear with maturation
Moro reflex when the head is released suddenly the arms should move sideways with the palms up and the thumbs flexed
Sucking reflex: sucking when the area around mouth is touched
Startle reflex: pulling arms and legs in after hearing loud noise
Step reflex: stepping motions when sole of foot touches hard surface

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Copyright © 2015 Wadsworth Publishing, a division of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

5. Functional value of some common reflexes
Much of the behavior repertoire of new infants (sucking, head turning, respiratory occlusion reflex)
Others are precursors to mature behavior
Rooting Reflex when you stroke the baby's cheek. The infant will turn toward the side that was stroked and begin to make sucking motions with the mouth
Grasping reflex occurs if you place a finger on the infant's open palm. The hand will close around the finger
And yet others are examples of reflexes that last into adulthood
Blinking reflex -- blinking the eyes when they are touched or when a sudden bright light appears
Cough reflex -- coughing when the airway is stimulated
Gag reflex -- gagging when the throat or back of the mouth is stimulated
Sneeze reflex -- sneezing when the nasal passages are irritated
Yawn reflex - yawning when the body needs more oxygen
Power Point Presentation on Infant Reflexes and Stereotypies

6. Modal Action Pattern Fixed action patterns (Lorenz and Tinbergen)
develop independently of the rearing environment and continue to completion even in the absence of guiding stimuli.
Fixed-action-pattern of egg retrieval by greylag goose.
archaic terminology replaced by modal action pattern
Modal Action Pattern (MAP) Reflexive response sequences peculiar to a specific species
Sexual behavior such as nest building in birds or fish
Territorial defense such as guarding a boundary from intruders
Aggression such as parents attacking intruders
Prey capture such as wolves chasing and catching deer
MAP can be simple or complex and how they occur can depend on the feedback from the external environment
Simple egg retrieval
More complex courtship behavior includes the interaction of male and female

7. Fixed action pattern Modal action pattern
Egg retrieval by greylag goose. Fixed action patterns are given independently of the rearing environment and continue to completion even in the absence of guiding stimuli.

8. Modal Action Pattern
MAP are elicited by Sign Stimulus or releasing stimulus
Herring gull chicks peck at a red spot on parent's bill
Tinbergen and Perdeck, (1950) Experiments where a yellow stick with red spots acts as a stimulus.
Threshold for eliciting behavior varies with circumstances
the same stimulus can have varying effects depending upon the physiological
motivational such as hunger
hormonal influences such as breeding season
These patterns are not done exactly the same each time performed
Supernormal stimulus
artificially exaggerated sign stimulus that elicits an unusually vigorous response
is the most effective stimulus for eliciting behavior may not be those that occur under natural conditions
Timbergen 1948 Osytercather Supernormal Sign Stimuli using large eggs
Artificial Eggs used by Baerends & Kruijt

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Copyright © 2015 Wadsworth Publishing, a division of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

10. Sign Stimulus Tinbergen and Perdeck, (1950)
Herring gull chicks use a moving red spot on bill as a sign stimulus to recognize their mother.
A yellow stick with red spots acts as a supernormal stimulus.

11. Supernormal Sign Stimuli
A supernormal sign stimulus is one that mimics and “outdoes” normal sign stimuli.

12. Baerends & Kruijt Supranormal Egg Retrieval
Model Value

13. Modal Action Patterns in humans?
Eating behavior
Odor and taste of food
Visual cues of food
Social and Sexual behavior
Cosmetics, Perfume, Clothing
Tactile: touch
Olfactory: pheromones
Visual: Eyebrow flash
Are these “sign stimuli” ?
Supra-normal stimuli effects on Humans
Art, advertising, toys etc.
Head size of dolls
Body shape in art
Color, size, shape, movement in advertising

14. Supra-normal stimuli in Humans

15. Sequential Organization of Behavior
Responses are organized into functionally effective behavior sequences
Distinctions made by early ethologists:
Motivated behavior (foraging for food) involves appetitive behavior (early components)
beginning of sequence
less stereotyped
can take on a variety of different forms depending on the environment
Bring the organism into contact with stimuli that release (elicit) consummatory behavior
Consummatory behavior (end components)
highly stereotyped
and species-specific modal actions patterns
elicited by specific releasing stimuli

16. Sequential Organization of Behavior
Examples: Foraging, Mating , Sexual activity, Territorial Defense and Aggression
Humans: Foraging
Appetitive: Type and method of food preparation varies across cultures
Consummatory: chewing and swallowing the same across cultures
Humans: Aggression
Appetitive: Threatening behavior varies across cultures
Consummatory: Hitting and hurting consistent across cultures
Foraging behavior organized into modes: (Timberlake 2001)
general search mode
focal search mode
food handling mode
Awareness of sequential organization of behavior in a given species is important because learning effects depend on which component of the behavior sequence is being modified.

17. Guarding Dog Anatolian Shepherd
originated in the Anatolia region of central Turkey
responsible for guarding livestock without human assistance
Training a livestock-guarding dog is primarily a matter of raising the dog with sheep to establish a social bond between sheep and dog
Neoteny: retain puppy like characteristics
licking the muzzle of an adult
play wrestling
barking when something new or strange approaches
absence of predatory behavior

18. Effects of repeated stimulation
Elicited behavior change with experience
Does not occur exactly the same every time an elicited stimulus is encountered
Varies in intensity (and form)
Varies in duration
Reflexive behavior changes with repeated presentations of eliciting stimulus
Salivary response in humans
Startle Response in Rats
Habituation effects:
Decrease in responsiveness with repeated exposure to a particular eliciting stimulus.
Stimulus specific
Affected by novelty or familiarity and complexity of stimulation

19. Effects of repeated stimulation
Salivation and Hedonic Ratings of Taste in People
Repeated taste of lemon or lime see Figure 2.4
Decreased salivation
Lower hedonic ratings
People find the taste of food to be less pleasant the more often they eat that food
Habituation to the taste of lemon yogurt see figure 2.5
Habituation in average weight women
Less habituation in overweight women
Visual Attention in Infants
The more novel and or complex a visual stimulus the more an infant looks with repeated presentation see Fig 2.7
Facial familiarity in infants (3.5 months) see Figure 2.8
Phase one: group one familiarized to side view, group two familiarized to frontal view
Phase two: each group tested with familiar face or novel face
Effected by the frequency

20. The Principles of Learning and Behavior, 7e by Michael Domjan
Copyright © 2015 Wadsworth Publishing, a division of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

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Copyright © 2015 Wadsworth Publishing, a division of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

22. Figure 2.6 – Experimental setup for the study of visual attention in infants. The infant is seated in front of a screen that is used to present various visual stimuli. How long the infant looks at the display before diverting his gaze elsewhere is measured in each trial.
The Principles of Learning and Behavior, 7e by Michael Domjan
Copyright © 2015 Wadsworth Publishing, a division of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

23. The Principles of Learning and Behavior, 7e by Michael Domjan
Copyright © 2015 Wadsworth Publishing, a division of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

24. The Principles of Learning and Behavior, 7e by Michael Domjan
Copyright © 2015 Wadsworth Publishing, a division of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.