Some airports have attempted to scare geese off by playing goose alarm calls over loudspeakers. This tactic kept the geese away initially, but soon the geese ignored the alarm calls. How would you explain this outcome?
a. The alarm calls are a social signal that geese ignore unless they can see the other geese.
b. The geese became imprinted on the alarm calls.
c. The geese used spatial learning to navigate the environment of the airport.
d. The geese became habituated to the alarm calls when no danger was present.

Question

Some airports have attempted to scare geese off by playing goose alarm calls over loudspeakers. This tactic kept the geese away initially, but soon the geese ignored the alarm calls. How would you explain this outcome?

a. The alarm calls are a social signal that geese ignore unless they can see the other geese.

b. The geese became imprinted on the alarm calls.

c. The geese used spatial learning to navigate the environment of the airport.

d. The geese became habituated to the alarm calls when no danger was present.

Accepted Answer

Hi, everyone. Welcome back. Let's look at our next problem. It says, determine the incorrect statement about learning. So we're talking about animal behavior here and about learned behaviors. So let's look at our answer. Choices. Choice A says it is a change in behavior as a result of experiences. Well, this is true. Um The very definition of learning is that the animal changes its behavior. Uh due to experiences, it learns that that behavior helps it in some way. So since that's true, that's not our answer. We're looking for an incorrect statement. Choice B says it involves choice and cost benefit analysis. Um This is also true. Uh The cost of whatever behavior it is has to be less than whatever benefit the animal gets. So, um a good example is foraging behavior as animals forage for food go over wide distances. Um The cost is that the increased energy for moving around and also exposure to predation that has to be less than the benefit it gets from increased access to food. So again, but foraging is a behavior and there's a cost benefit analysis associated with that behavior. So that's also not our answer choice Choi says it is an an innate behavior that is present at birth. Well, this would be false by very definition, learning involves experience and change over time. So it is not an innate behavior, innate behaviors are those that they don't change over time. There's no experience or training needed to be able to carry out these behaviors, the animals born with those abilities. So choice C is our correct answer and then finally choice D it is influenced by regular practice. Um This is also a true statement. Um When an animal learns something, it increases in skill, gets better at what it's doing over time or modifies what it's doing as it practices it and targets it to make it uh better at achieving the benefits of that behavior. So choice D is also incorrect. Uh It's also important to note here that we can have things that are both innate and learned kind of mixed behaviors. Um Example is the zebra finch. It is an innate behavior to be able to sing and is born with the ability to learn songs and sing. Um But the specific song it sings depends on what it hears its father singing. So that's an example of behavior that has both learned and innate elements. But again, our answer to determine the incorrect statement about learning is choice C it is an innate behavior that is present at birth. See you in the next video.

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Key Concepts

Habituation

Social Signals

Imprinting