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Questions and Answers
Which term is used by ethologists to describe the rigid and mechanical patterns of behavior observed in many animal species?
What is the advantage of the automatic behavior patterns exhibited by both humans and animals?
What is the disadvantage of the automatic behavior patterns exhibited by both humans and animals?
How can other individuals seek to profit by exploiting the automatic behavior patterns of humans and animals?
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What is the relationship between the automatic behavior patterns of humans and animals described in the text?
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What is the main purpose of the text?
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Study Notes
Fixed-Action Patterns in Animal Behavior
- Ethologists have observed that many animal species exhibit rigid and mechanical patterns of behavior in their natural environments.
- These patterns are known as fixed-action patterns, and they are similar to automatic responding in humans.
- Fixed-action patterns are triggered by a single feature of the relevant information in a situation, known as the trigger feature.
Advantages of Shortcut Responding
- Shortcut responding allows individuals to make quick decisions without analyzing all available information, preserving time, energy, and mental capacity.
- This efficiency and economy in decision-making can be valuable in many situations.
Disadvantages of Shortcut Responding
- Shortcut responding can lead to silly and costly mistakes, as individuals react to only a piece of the available information.
- The chances of error increase when responding in an automatic, mindless fashion.
- The risk of error is further increased when others manipulate trigger features to stimulate desired behaviors at inappropriate times.
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Description
Test your knowledge on fixed-action patterns observed in animal behavior, and the similarities to automatic responses in humans triggered by specific features of a situation.
