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Animal Behavior: Social Learning
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Imitation
Learning by watching and copying the actions of others. In animals, this can be seen in bird song learning where young birds learn to sing by mimicking adults.
Observational Learning
The process of acquiring information by observing others. Meerkats teach their pups how to eat a venomous scorpion by removing the stinger and showing them.
Social Facilitation
Performing a behavior more frequently simply because conspecifics are present. For example, chickens will eat more when they are around other chickens.
Local Enhancement
Focusing on a specific location because an individual observed another individual interacting with it. Rats may learn to press a lever after seeing another rat receive food for doing so.
Social Transmission
A process where knowledgeable individuals can directly influence the behavior of naive individuals, leading to a propagation of behaviors. This can be seen in the spread of nut-cracking techniques among chimpanzees.
Public Information
Using information gleaned from the performance of others to guide future behavior. Fish may choose to eat a particular type of food after observing other fish being successful in eating it.
Teaching
An experienced individual actively facilitates learning for a naive individual, often altering their behavior only in the presence of the learner. Cheetahs teach their cubs how to hunt by initially disabling prey.
Cultural Transmission
The transfer of information from one generation to another that is maintained within a group. Tool use in certain populations of dolphins as it passes from mother to offspring is an example.
Innovation
The introduction of new behaviors that are then potentially transmitted to others. Crows using cars to crack nuts is an instance of innovative behavior.
Copying
Engaging in behavior after observing a conspecific doing it, without understanding its underlying goal or strategy. A dog that spins in circles because it saw another do it while receiving a treat might exemplify this.
Enhancement
The act where the presence or behavior of an individual increases the likelihood of a behavior in another individual without explicit instruction. Pigeons are more likely to press a lever if they see another doing so.
Eavesdropping
Acquiring information by observing interactions between other individuals. For instance, a beta male fish may observe a fight between two other males to gauge the strength of potential rivals.
Affiliative Behavior
Actions that promote social bonds and group cohesion. When wolves engage in playful behavior or grooming, they are displaying affiliative behavior.
Altruism
A behavior that benefits another at the cost of the individual performing it. Vampire bats will regurgitate blood to feed roostmates that have failed to feed.
Conformity
The tendency to do as others do, or matching the behavior of the majority of group members. Young monkeys may adopt the food preferences of their group mates over individual preferences.
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