Chapter 31, Problem 4A

Summary Introduction

To write:

The type of behaviour leads to a decrease in an animal's response after being exposed repeatedly to a stimulus that has no positive or negative consequences.

Introduction:

Animal behaviour comprises all the ways in which animals communicate with other species and the physical environment. Behaviour can also be characterised as a change in the operation of the organism in response to a stimulus. A stimulus is an environmental change that directly influences the activity of an organism.

Explanation of Solution

Habituation is anelementary form of learning in which an animal ceases to react to a stimulus, or cue, after duration of repeated exposure. This is a type of non- associative learning, which means that the stimulus is not connected with any punishment or reward.

For example, dogs slowly and gradually became habituated with the sound of the human footsteps as they realized that there is nothing bad happening and eventually will stop getting alarmed when they hear the sound of footsteps.

Conclusion

Habituation is the type of behaviour in which the response of the animals decreases for a stimulus over time.