Animal Psychology Advanced - Qp3

Imprinting is a phenomenon that occurs during a critical period in an animal's life, where it forms strong attachments and develops a sense of its own identity. This process is crucial for the animal's social and emotional development. Therefore, the statement that "imprinting refers to a critical period of time early in an animal's life when it forms attachments and develops a concept of its own identity" is true.

Konrad Lorenz discovered that when young birds first hatch, they become attached to the first moving object they encounter.

Imprinted knowledge refers to information or learning that is deeply ingrained in a person's memory and is unlikely to be forgotten. This type of knowledge is often acquired through intense or significant experiences, and it tends to stay with an individual for a lifetime. Therefore, the statement that imprinted knowledge is retained for life is true.

Reinforcers can be classified into two categories: primary and secondary. Primary reinforcers are inherently rewarding and satisfy basic physiological needs, such as food, water, and shelter. Secondary reinforcers, on the other hand, are learned and acquire their reinforcing properties through association with primary reinforcers or other secondary reinforcers. Therefore, the statement that reinforcers can be either primary or secondary is true.

Contiguity is a psychological principle that suggests that when two events occur together or in close proximity, they will become associated in our minds. This means that if we repeatedly experience two events happening together, we are more likely to form a connection between them. For example, if we always hear a specific song while driving to work, over time, hearing that song may trigger thoughts or memories related to our commute. Therefore, the statement that contiguity is the principle stating that events that occur together will become associated is true.

If there is an increased level of stress at the time of the original imprinting, the learning is stronger than normal. This means that when an individual is exposed to a stressful situation during the process of imprinting, the learning that occurs is more intense and lasting compared to when there is no stress. The heightened stress response can enhance memory formation and consolidation, leading to a stronger imprinting of the learned information.

Imprinting does not have four major characteristics. The statement is false. Imprinting actually has three major characteristics, which are rapid learning, irreversible, and specific to a critical period.

This statement is incorrect. Reinforcement is a type of consequence that increases the likelihood of a given behavior, while punishment is a type of consequence that decreases the likelihood of a given behavior.

Operant deconditioning does not enable an animal to associate events over which it has control. Instead, it involves the process of learning through consequences, where behaviors are strengthened or weakened based on the positive or negative outcomes they produce. This type of conditioning focuses on the relationship between the animal's behavior and the consequences that follow, rather than control over events. Therefore, the correct answer is false.