Fixed action pattern: Difference between revisions

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==Sign stimulus==

The '''sign stimulus''', also known as a'''key stimulus''' or '''[[:simple:Releaser|releaser]]''', is the determining feature of a stimulus that produces a response. Sign stimuli are often found when observing a fixed action pattern (FAP) that is an innate behaviour with very little variance in the manner in which the actions are executed. Several examples of sign stimuli can be seen through the observation of animal behaviour in their natural environment. Experimenters have gone into these natural environments to better assess the stimuli and determine the key features of them that elicit a fixed action pattern. Scientists have also observed direct exploitation of sign stimuli in nature among different species of birds.

Fixed action patterns are released due to certain external stimuli.<ref name=":03"/> These stimuli are single or a small group of attributes of an object, not the object as a whole.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |url=http://www.flyfishingdevon.co.uk/salmon/year1/psy128ethology_experiments/ethexpt.htm#FAP |title=Ethological studies of sign stimuli and motivation |website=www.flyfishingdevon.co.uk |access-date=2019-10-22}}</ref> These attributes may include color, shape, odor, and sound.<ref name=":03"/><ref name=":15"/>