What describes a fixed-action pattern and its trigger?

What describes a fixed-action pattern and its trigger?

• A. A fixed-action pattern is a sequence of instinctive behaviors that, once started by a sign stimulus, runs to completion regardless of subsequent changes in the environment.
• B. It is a learned sequence that can be altered by feedback during the activity.
• C. It is a brief, involuntary reflex that diminishes with repeated stimulation.
• D. It is a flexible set of behaviors that changes with new information.

Answer: (A)

A fixed-action pattern is an innate, unlearned sequence of behaviors that, once triggered by a sign stimulus, proceeds to completion. The sign stimulus is a specific cue that reliably elicits the entire sequence, and once started, the behavior runs to the end even if the environment changes. That’s why the best description says the pattern is a hard-wired sequence initiated by a sign stimulus and completed regardless of subsequent changes. This differs from the other ideas: a learned sequence can be altered by feedback during the action, a brief reflex that tends to weaken with repetition is habituation, and a flexible set of behaviors that changes with new information reflects learning or plasticity rather than an invariant action pattern.

A fixed-action pattern is an innate, unlearned sequence of behaviors that, once triggered by a sign stimulus, proceeds to completion. The sign stimulus is a specific cue that reliably elicits the entire sequence, and once started, the behavior runs to the end even if the environment changes. That’s why the best description says the pattern is a hard-wired sequence initiated by a sign stimulus and completed regardless of subsequent changes.

This differs from the other ideas: a learned sequence can be altered by feedback during the action, a brief reflex that tends to weaken with repetition is habituation, and a flexible set of behaviors that changes with new information reflects learning or plasticity rather than an invariant action pattern.