Post on 02-Apr-2015
Unit 1 Scientific Approaches
Chapter 1
History
History
• Comparative psychology- concerned w/ ani beh
• Ethology- branch of biology studying ani beh
• Behavioral ecology- interaction bt/wn ani w/each other and enviro
Old dead guys!
• 300 BC• Aristotle organized
living things by complexity, named them by genus and species
• Genus= group, species=unique properties
More old dead guys!
• 16th and 17th cent• Lots of studies in
anatomy and physiology
• Descartes researched that ani beh is governed by laws and principles
• 18th cent• Linnaeus- system of
classification
Up to 19th cent
• Early 19th cent• Lamarck- evolution (all
species descended from older, from simple to more complex)
• 19th cent• Darwin- changed views
from anthropocentric (humans center of everything) to we evolved too
Go Darwin, Go Darwin!
• Book “Origin of Species” produced a mechanism to support theory of evolution
• Natural selection- ani and humans live in same universe, all related by common ancestors
More dead old guys
• Mendel- studied genetics, reinforced theory of evolution
• William James- “Principles of Psychology”, human consciousness
• Lloyd Morgan- comparative psych on ani beh, simplest explanation is best
• John Watson- founded school of behaviorism, learning processes, rats
Ethology
• Branch of bio, studies ani beh w/in environ
• Field studies on ani beh in natural environ
• FAP- fixed action patterns, innate, present in all members of species
• Triggered by a sign stimulus
• Ex: color during mating triggers aggression in males
Behavioral ecology
• Evolutionary principles of adaptation
• Environments are interacting systems
• Sociobiology- social behaviors of animals
Animal classification
• Taxonomy- classifying and naming animals
• Indicate relationships• Most important
characteristics• KPCOFGS• Genus- group• Species- can interbreed
and produce viable offspring
Animal behavior
• Why do they do that?• What is accomplished?• What is provided by this
behavior?• Functional- due to
evolution• Purposeful- future
planning, consciousness• Proximate (mechanical)
causes- immediate circumstances that evoke beh