Final answer:
Fixed action patterns are instinctual behaviors that usually go to completion once they are initiated, and generally cannot be stopped midway. Examples of this are found in the aggressive behavior of three-spined sticklebacks to red undersides regardless of object shape. However, organisms can learn to ignore stimuli over time through habituation, but this is not an interruption of an FAP.
Step-by-step explanation:
Can an organism stop a fixed action pattern behavior? A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a series of instinctual behaviors that, once initiated, always goes to completion regardless of changes in the environment. An example of this behavior is seen in the three-spined stickleback, where males develop a red belly during breeding season and exhibit instinctive aggressiveness towards other males. When exposed to non-fish-shaped objects with red undersides, the sticklebacks still respond aggressively, displaying the preprogrammed behavior typical of an FAP. Generally, a true FAP cannot be stopped once initiated; it is a hard-wired response to a specific stimulus and will go to completion even if the initial trigger is removed.
However, habituation suggests that with repeated exposure to a stimulus that has no consequence, an organism may stop responding to it over time. But this change is not an interruption of an FAP; rather it is a learned behavior that applies to new or repeated stimuli that are known to have no associated consequences.