Which example best illustrates a fixed action pattern?

Which example best illustrates a fixed action pattern?

• A. A dog learning a trick through repetition
• B. Goose retrieving an egg that rolled away
• C. A bird singing in spring after learning from others
• D. A cat learning to catch mice

Answer: (B)

A fixed action pattern is an instinctive, species-typical sequence of behaviors that, once started, runs to completion and is triggered by a specific environmental cue (a sign stimulus). It tends to be highly stereotyped and doesn’t rely on learning or trial-and-error. The goose retrieving an egg that rolled away best fits this idea. When the egg is outside the nest, a goose is triggered to execute a fixed sequence: approach, grab the egg, and roll it back toward the nest. The behavior is largely innate and performed in essentially the same way by individuals, continuing to completion even if the egg is displaced or removed. This demonstrates the automatic, unlearned nature and the stereotyped pattern of a fixed action response. The other examples involve learning or modification through experience—learning a trick through repetition, singing after social learning, or hunting mice through practice—so they don’t illustrate a fixed action pattern.

A fixed action pattern is an instinctive, species-typical sequence of behaviors that, once started, runs to completion and is triggered by a specific environmental cue (a sign stimulus). It tends to be highly stereotyped and doesn’t rely on learning or trial-and-error.

The goose retrieving an egg that rolled away best fits this idea. When the egg is outside the nest, a goose is triggered to execute a fixed sequence: approach, grab the egg, and roll it back toward the nest. The behavior is largely innate and performed in essentially the same way by individuals, continuing to completion even if the egg is displaced or removed. This demonstrates the automatic, unlearned nature and the stereotyped pattern of a fixed action response.

The other examples involve learning or modification through experience—learning a trick through repetition, singing after social learning, or hunting mice through practice—so they don’t illustrate a fixed action pattern.