Unit name | Acquisition of Behaviour |
---|---|
Unit code | BIOL20103 |
Credit points | 10 |
Level of study | I/5 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2C (weeks 13 - 18) |
Unit director | Dr. Bell |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None. |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Aims:
• to complement interests in all areas of biology
• to provide a secure grounding for more advanced courses involving acquisition of behaviour in non-human animals
• to provide a secure grounding for practical projects relating to acquisition of behaviour in non-human animals
An important objective of this unit is to examine the scientific evidence for sophisticated mental processing in non-human animals.
This unit focuses on proximate explanations for acquisition of behaviour in animal: inheritance and learning. The unit begins by considering genetic influences on behaviour, and also interactions between genetic predisposition and individual experience in development of behaviour.
The unit will then explore the fundamental processes used by animals in acquiring their behaviour, including conditioning, recognition learning, classification and discrimination, following lectures address cognitive processes, and cover social learning, cultural transmission, intelligence, tool use, spatial memory, communication and language.
By the end of this unit, students will:
Lectures, directed reading, research and/or problem-solving activities; practical exercises and independent study.
Coursework (40%) plus summative written assessment (60%) with one essay question to be selected from a choice of two.
Essential reading:
• Shettleworth, S. (2010): Cognition, Evolution and Behavior 2nd edn. OUP. Additional reading:
• Pearce, J.M. (2008): Animal Learning &Cognition 3rd edn. Psychology Press. .
• Barnard, C. (2004): Animal Behaviour. Pearson Prentice Hall.