ACTION CHAIN
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 12 ▶ |
| Object type | Discipline oriented, General information |
A behavioral sequence triggered by an initial stimulus (see: N. Tinbergen, 1965)
Action chains are present already in complex chemical reactions (Belousov-Zhabotinski reaction is an example)
However, in order of growing complexity the following sequences may be given as examples:
In Biology: the fertilization act that triggers the creation of a new living being…and the subsequent developmental process (the homeobox)
In Ecology: the emission of biochemical molecules by a tree under attack of a parasite, such as the molecule acts as a pheromone that attracts a specific parasite of the parasite
In Ethology: the hormonal stimulation of birds in spring that triggers the whole sequence of nest building
In Psychology: the frustration reaction of someone unable to stage a strong reaction against some offense or agression and substitutes it by some symbolic gesture (as for example banging a table)
Action chains should also be researched in sociology. They seem to be present in honey bees and in foraging ants for example.
The way the behavioral sequence becomes established and thereafter stabilized and transmitted through biochemical or other mechanisms should deserve a general inquiry.
Examples of such mechanism s are imprinting and innate response , but their operation is not yet clearly explained.