ANS 282 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Begging, Operant Conditioning, Learning
Document Summary
Knowledge of behavior is used to manage companion animals in many ways. Behavior = the aggregate of the responses or reactions or movements made by an organism in any situation. Simple version: behavior is everything an animal does and how it does it. Behavior in its simplest form can be a set of muscle contractions. Most of these simple behaviors are instinctive reflexes (no conscious thought or learning) Behavior also includes very complex activities that involve a series of actions, including: Many of these may involve learning and/or practice to perfect them (even if they have an instinctive basis) Behavior = the way an animal reacts to an endogenous or exogenous stimulus. This definition focuses on the idea that behavior happens for a reason. The animal is responding to a situation in a way that is adaptive (i. e. , helps ensure the animal survives and thrives)
