Year 1 · Senses, behaviour and coordination · Section 5.5
Behaviour
What is behaviour?
Behaviour consists of actions that an organism performs. Related actions may work together towards a result. For example, a lynx's hunting behaviour includes watching and stalking.
A sequence in which one action leads to the next is called a behaviour chain.
Motivation
A stimulus is a detectable influence that can lead to a response.
- Internal stimulus: Arises inside the body, such as hunger or thirst.
- External stimulus: Comes from outside the body, such as a smell.
Motivation is an organism's readiness to respond or perform a particular behaviour. A food smell may cause little response when you are full, but a stronger response when you are hungry.
Innate and learned behaviour
Behaviour may be innate, such as sucking in newborn mammals, or learned, such as eating with a spoon. Learned behaviour develops through experience, observation or practice.
Social behaviour
Social behaviour occurs between members of the same species. One individual's action may act as a signal, providing a stimulus for another's response.
- Humans: Communicate through language, facial expressions and gestures, such as raising a hand.
- Other animals: May communicate through colour, sound, smell or movements.
Human behaviour
Humans reflect on their own behaviour and judge the behaviour of others. Living together involves values, such as respect and honesty, and norms, the rules based on those values, such as not stealing.
Observation and interpretation
An observation describes what you actually detect, for example, “the person raises a hand”. An interpretation suggests what it means, for example, “the person wants to speak” or “the person is greeting someone”.
Interpretations depend on the situation and other signals, such as facial expression and body posture.
Glossary
- Innate behaviour
- Behaviour that develops without having to be learned through experience.
- Learned behaviour
- Behaviour acquired or changed through experience, imitation or practice.
- Behaviour chain
- A sequence of linked actions in which one action leads to the next.
- Actions
- The individual things an organism does as part of its behaviour.
- Internal stimulus
- A stimulus arising inside the body, such as hunger or thirst.
- Interpretation
- An explanation of what an observed behaviour may mean.
- Motivation
- Readiness to respond to a stimulus or perform a behaviour.
- Norms
- Rules for behaviour based on values.
- Observation
- A factual description of what is detected.
- Response
- A reaction to a stimulus.
- Signal
- An action or feature used in communication that influences another individual's behaviour.
- Social behaviour
- Behaviour directed towards members of the same species.
- External stimulus
- A stimulus from outside the body that can be detected by sensory receptors.
- Values
- Ideas about what people consider important in life.