Lecture 17.docx

Lecture 17: Behavior Systems Contra-freeloading by pigeons cannot be easily explained by the behaviorist/cognitive or by feedback (e.g., PCT) models Not all pecks are the same – associated to different behavior systems Behavior patterns form the same behavior systems are more closely related than be...

Lecture 17: Behavior Systems Contra-freeloading by pigeons cannot be easily explained by the behaviorist/cognitive or by feedback (e.g., PCT) models Not all pecks are the same – associated to different behavior systems Behavior patterns form the same behavior systems are more closely related than behavior patterns from different behavior systems Behavior Patterns linked in Hierarchical Organization Mounting – Same Behavior in Different Contexts Female = sexual mounting used for sex Male = aggressive mounting used for asserting dominance Hypothalamus – Regulate Particular Behavior Systems 1. Sex = medial preoptic area (MPOA) 2. Aggression = VM Hypothalamus (vl) Motor cortex controls individual muscle movements = infinite combination of muscle contractions Graziano: Motor cortex organizes Functional Actions Ensures quick and Adaptive responses to imminent threats Actions associated with a particular function are LINKED by brain circuits If case of Sensorimotor Ability, Head-Food coordination should occur in both contexts at the same age Australian Magpie – Only at 4 weeks do they succeed in coordinating the movement Head Scratching – Successful from 1-2 weeks Head-Foot Coordination is an action, not a sequence of movements Having a bias for a particular sequence overcomes the need to ‘Decide’ which one to use Same Body Morphology – Different ways of scratching NO *Efficiency is gained by biasing the brain to use one rather than the other There may be rules of organization that apply to how behavior is put together that apply across behavior systems.