Comparative Psychology Information On Psychology Online

Comparative psychology involves the investigation of the behavior and mental life of animals aside from human beings. However, there is always a contradiction between psychologists and scientists regarding this definition. It has been described as a field of psychology that focuses on cross-species comparisons, including comparing humans with animals. But some researchers believe that directly comparing organisms should not be the lone concentration of comparative psychology but instead intensive attention on a single organism in order to understand behavior is the more preferred one.
In his review of the works of several psychologists as well as their definitions, Donald Dewsbury came to the conclusion that comparative psychology is aimed towards establishing general principles focusing on promixate as well as ultimate causation. While there are suggestions for the discarding of the term due to its failure to describe the field, there has been no appropriate replacement that has been discovered yet. For a precise definition, we can describe comparative psychology as being primarily concerned with the evolution and development of behavior.
Comparative psychology provides an opportunity for evaluating the target behavior from four different viewpoints, introduced by Niko Tinbergen. First, one can investigate on the pervasiveness of behavior across the species which refers to the commonness of behavior in animals. Second, it also gives an opportunity to ask how the behavior will contribute to the reproductive success of the individual during their lifetime.
The third comparative perspective refers to the mechanisms involved in the behavior. Is there a physiological, behavioral, and environmental component which is necessary for generating such behavior? Finally, it can lead to a researcher asking the development of the behavior within an individual.
In studying the behavior of animals, comparative psychology often utilizes the comparative method. It involves making a comparison between the similarities and differences among the species in order to fully understand evolutionary relationships. The comparative method can likewise be used in comparing modern species of animals with their ancient counterparts.
Among the major issues tackled in comparative psychology include evolution, heredity, mating and parenting, primates, and adaptation and learning. By comparing the behavior of animals across species, one can have a deeper and broader understanding of human psychology. It has led to numerous theories about human behavior, such as classical conditioning by Ivan Pavlov or Harry Harlow’s studies with rhesus monkeys.
The likes of Charles Darwin, George Romanes, Edward Thorndike, B.F. Skinner, among others have made important contributions in the field of comparative psychology. Looking for more help on psychology online? Do check out Psychology Fitness.

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