Biology: Animal Behavior: Innate vs Learned
Classifying behaviors and explaining how animals acquire them
Biology: Animal Behavior: Innate vs Learned
Classifying behaviors and explaining how animals acquire them
Biology - Grade 9-12
- 1
Define innate behavior and learned behavior. Include one example of each in your answer.
Focus on whether the behavior is present at birth or gained through experience.
An innate behavior is a behavior an animal is born able to do, such as a spider spinning a web. A learned behavior is gained through experience or practice, such as a dog learning to sit on command. - 2
A newly hatched sea turtle moves from its nest toward the ocean without being taught. Classify this behavior as innate or learned and explain your reasoning.
This behavior is innate because the sea turtle performs it without instruction or prior experience. The behavior helps the turtle survive by reaching the ocean quickly after hatching. - 3
A chimpanzee uses a stick to remove termites from a mound after watching older chimpanzees do the same. Classify this behavior and explain what type of learning may be involved.
Look for evidence that the animal copied another individual.
This is a learned behavior because the chimpanzee improves or acquires the behavior by observing others. It is an example of observational learning. - 4
Explain how a fixed action pattern differs from a reflex. Give one example of either behavior.
A reflex is a simple, automatic response to a stimulus, such as pulling a hand away from heat. A fixed action pattern is a more complex innate sequence of actions that usually continues once started, such as a goose rolling an egg back to its nest. - 5
A dog begins to salivate when it hears a bell because the bell has been paired many times with food. Identify the learning process and explain how it works.
This type of learning involves making an association between two stimuli.
The learning process is classical conditioning. The dog learned to associate the bell with food, so the bell alone began to trigger salivation. - 6
In an experiment, a rat learns to press a lever to receive a food pellet. Identify the learning process and explain why it fits.
This is operant conditioning because the rat learns to perform a behavior based on its consequence. Pressing the lever is reinforced by receiving food, so the behavior becomes more likely. - 7
A young bird hears songs from adult birds during a specific early stage of life. Later, it produces a similar song. What is this sensitive period of learning often called, and why is timing important?
Some behaviors must be learned during a narrow time in development.
This is often called imprinting or a critical period for learning, depending on the species and behavior. Timing is important because the animal may only learn the behavior effectively during a limited developmental window. - 8
Classify each behavior as innate or learned: a spider building a typical web, a human learning to ride a bicycle, a baby mammal nursing, and a crow dropping nuts on a road so cars crack them.
A spider building a typical web is innate. A human learning to ride a bicycle is learned. A baby mammal nursing is innate. A crow dropping nuts on a road so cars crack them is learned because it involves experience and problem solving. - 9
A student claims that all animal behaviors are either completely innate or completely learned. Explain why this statement is too simple.
Think about behaviors that need both biological ability and practice.
The statement is too simple because many behaviors involve both genetic influences and learning. For example, a bird may have an innate tendency to sing, but the exact song pattern may be shaped by experience and hearing adults. - 10
The diagram shows goslings following the first large moving object they see after hatching. Name this behavior and explain whether it is innate, learned, or both.
This behavior is imprinting. It has innate and learned parts because the tendency to follow is inborn, but the specific object the goslings follow is learned during an early sensitive period. - 11
A squirrel hides nuts in many places during the fall and later finds some of them by using memory and smell. Explain how both innate and learned factors could be involved.
The drive to store food before winter may be innate because it is tied to seasonal survival. Remembering locations and improving search strategies can involve learning and experience. - 12
A fish stops reacting to harmless shadows that pass over its tank every few minutes. What type of learning is this, and how does it help the animal?
This type of learning involves responding less to a repeated harmless stimulus.
This is habituation. It helps the fish conserve energy by reducing responses to repeated stimuli that do not pose a threat. - 13
Compare the advantages of innate behavior and learned behavior for survival in changing environments.
Innate behavior is useful because it is quick and does not require practice, which can be important for survival at birth. Learned behavior is useful because it allows animals to adjust to new conditions, solve problems, and benefit from experience. - 14
A graph shows that young birds raised without hearing adult songs produce abnormal songs, while birds raised with adult tutors produce normal songs. What conclusion can you draw about song development?
Use the difference between the two groups as evidence.
The conclusion is that song development depends partly on learning from adult tutors. The birds may have an innate ability to sing, but normal song structure requires experience during development. - 15
Design a simple investigation to test whether a behavior in an animal is learned rather than innate. Include a control group, an experimental group, and the evidence you would look for.
A strong test changes the animals' experience while keeping other conditions as similar as possible.
A good investigation would compare animals with normal exposure to the behavior and animals raised without the chance to observe or practice it. The control group would have normal social or environmental exposure, while the experimental group would not. If only the exposed group performs the behavior well, that would support the idea that the behavior is learned.