Class 3 - Animal Research - History of Behaviour Flashcards
Ancient Comparative Psychology - Pre Darwin – from her on—
– from her on—
What is Comparative Psychology? Give 2 examples.
The study of the – behaviour and mental processes – of non-human animals, – with an attempt at comparing it to humans.
Example = understanding how human brain works as comparison to mice – and finding that boths brain isn’t that different afterall. – We have the same brain parts, – they are just located in different areas of brain.
Example = we discovered neuroplasticity by looking at how worm understood its environment. – So we look at animals – that share same aspects of what we are – and we use that to make assumptions about humans.
What is the goal of Comparative Psychology?
To understand similarities between different species (animals, humans) – and use these similarities to guide our research.
What is Anthropomorphic Error?
Mistakenly – thinking/attributing – that animals have human traits/qualities.
Give an example of Anthropomorphic Error? - when we do it to inanimate (things that are not alive) objects too?
Hitting a computer because it is slow, –here we mistakenly think/atrribute that computer is intelligent like humans – but it is not – to realize that there are not stupid computer only stupid humans. — we do so to feel liberated, to relieve stress.
What is important to undersatnd in order to understand Comparitive Psychology?
Evolution
Talk about Evolution in relation to Comparative Psychology.
All human research begin in animals, and this is the reason why we have a lot of medical advancements - Initially we thought that humans are different than animals eventhough there were similarities in some behvaiours – But then we learned that humans belonged to animal category (Aristole - classification). But Charles Darwin took this Evoluation way too far.
Ancient Comparative Psychology - Post Darwin – from her on—
As a general rule what did people want to understand about animals?
As a general rule people wanted to understand animal behaviour because
- it was important for human survival –
- because most humans were farmers during ancient and pre-modern era.
- Also, ancient Egyptians studied cats as their religion was based around cats.
How have we been Anthropomorphizing?
Anthropomorphic means Mistakenly – thinking/attributing – that animals have human traits/qualities.
As a general rule people wanted to understand animal behaviour because it was important for human survival – because most humans were farmers during ancient and pre-modern era.
Also, ancient Egyptians studied cats as their religion was based around cats.
Rigveda from ancient Indian tried to capture distinction between animals.
Hitting a computer because it is slow, –here we mistakenly think/atrribute that computer is intelligent like humans – but it is not – to realize that there are not stupid computer only stupid humans. — we do so to feel liberated, to relieve stress.
What did Rigveda capture?
- classification, Aristotle
Rigveda from ancient Indian captured distinction between animals. For example, animals that live on air, water, and land.
Here we see that Rigveda from ancient Indian also classified animals similar to Aristotle. who wrote a book De animal wheere he classified plants, animals and humans. – He identified that each animal had a specific purpose in nature and that there was a hirerachy between humans and animals.
How did Aristotle classify animals?
Based on 4 cases:
- Material
- Formal
- Efficient
- Final
What did Material comprise of when Aristotle categorized animals?
What kind of organic matter is found in animals.
E.g., do they have a brain? What kind of brain do they have?
What did Formal comprise of when Aristotle categorized animals?
How is organ connected to skelton, muscles?
E.g., does the animal,worm have a spine?
What did Efficient comprise of when Aristotle categorized animals?
Who/what made the animal?
e.g., dogs parents through reproduction.
was made though egg and sperm.
What did Final comprise of when Aristotle categorized animals?
What is animal’s purpose?
e.g., living like dogs, playing with ball*.
What led to medical advancement, animals research, human research.
Rigveda from ancient Indian captured distinction between animals. For example, animals that live on air, water, and land.
Here we see that Rigveda from ancient Indian also classified animals similar to Aristotle. who wrote a book De animal wheere he classified plants, animals and humans. – He identified that each animal had a specific purpose in nature and that there was a hirerachy between humans and animals. Aristotle classified animals based on 4 cases: Material, Formal, Efficient, Final. —- SPECIALLY AFTER WW, teh resaerch advanced as there were a lot of mental gealth issues. – led to resaerch on animals – hence the advancement.
Anthropomorphic means Mistakenly – thinking/attributing – that animals have human traits/qualities.
As a general rule people wanted to understand animal behaviour because it was important for human survival – because most humans were farmers during ancient and pre-modern era.
Also, ancient Egyptians studied cats as their religion was based around cats.
The study of the – behaviour and mental processes – of non-human animals, – with an attempt at comparing it to humans.
Example = understanding how human brain works as comparison to mice – and finding that boths brain isn’t that different afterall. – We have the same brain parts, – they are just located in different areas of brain.
Example = we discovered neuroplasticity by looking at how worm understood its environment. – So we look at animals – that share same aspects of what we are – and we use that to make assumptions about humans.
THIS all led to animals research which led to advancement of medicine.
Rat example Kevin research. at box, illicit depression in animals than inject them with medication (vs. not), see hoe long they try to escapr the water or tail box thing.
Modern Comparative Psychology - Post Darwin – from here on—
– from here on—
What did Darwin proposed based on Evolution?
Evolution occurs thorugh natural selection, – meaning that individual traits which make them better adapted to environmnet – are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing this advantage to their offspring.
describe what Charles Darwin studied based on following picture.
Charles Darwin’s most important discovery was how the environment affects animals. He grew up ethological (saw animals, what they did). —
When Darwin arrived at the islands, he noticed that the animals were slightly different from each other. He studied finches and saw that their beaks had different shapes. He realized that each island had different food sources.
On islands with lots of nuts, finches had short, strong beaks. – On islands with worms, finches had long, thin beaks. – Darwin developed the idea that different species adapt to their environments.
He suggested that in the past, all islands had nuts. The birds with short, strong beaks survived because they could eat the nuts. Over time, only birds with the right beak shape for their food source survived and reproduced.
What was the Zeitgeist about Charles Darwin - Evolution theory?
Before Darwin, humans were often seen as fundamentally separate from animals. – However, Darwin’s work suggested that humans are part of the animal kingdom, sharing common ancestry with other species. – This sparked debate between the people who embrased it and who opposed it based on religious, scientific and social grounds. – Darwin took evolution way to far, leading to antropomosphism. – This shift in thinking influenced how psychologists studied behavior and mental processes, leading to new scientific approaches like palentology, biogeography, comparative anatomy. – Many ideas in biology unified, like genetics, anthropology, life cycle, reproduction.
What was the Zeitgeist about Charles Darwin - Evotion theory?
Name 5 Connections to Psychology.
- Comparative Psychology
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Sociobiology
- Anthropomorphism and Caution
- Impact on Research Methods
What was the Zeitgeist about Charles Darwin - Evolution theory?
Explain Comparative Psychology.
Darwin’s theory encouraged scientists to study animals to understand human behavior. – The idea was that by observing similarities between species, we could uncover fundamental psychological principles.
What was the Zeitgeist about Charles Darwin - Evotion theory?
Explain Evolutionary Psychology.
This field emerged from – Darwin’s influence, – of understaning human behavior and mental processes from a evolution perspective. – It suggests that psychological traits, like fear responses evolved because they were advantageous for survival and reproduction.
What was the Zeitgeist about Charles Darwin - Evotion theory?
Explain Sociobiology.
E.O. Wilson expanded on Darwin’s ideas by blending biology with sociology, – leading to the nature vs. nurture debate. – This shifted focus from just environmental influences (behaviorism) to considering genetic and evolutionary factors.
What was the Zeitgeist about Charles Darwin - Evolution theory?
Explain Anthropomorphism and Caution. Give example.
While Darwin’s work highlighted similarities between humans and animals, – it also led to overgeneralizations.
For example:
The Clever Hans effect showed – the risk of assuming animals have human-like cognitive abilities without proper scientific controls.
What was the Zeitgeist about Charles Darwin - Evolution theory?
Explain Impact on Research Methods. Give 2 example.
Darwin’s emphasis on observation and adaptation influenced experimental designs in psychology, such as behavioral studies with animals (e.g., Open Field Test, Skinner Box). These methods helped psychologists study complex behaviors under controlled conditions.
What was the Zeitgeist about Charles Darwin - Evotion theory?
Explain 5 Connections to Psychology.
- Comparative Psychology: Darwin’s theory encouraged scientists to study animals to understand human behavior. – The idea was that by observing similarities between species, we could uncover fundamental psychological principles.
- Evolutionary Psychology: This field emerged from Darwin’s influence, focusing on how evolution shapes human behavior and mental processes. – It suggests that psychological traits, like fear responses or social behaviors, evolved because they were advantageous for survival and reproduction.
- Sociobiology: E.O. Wilson expanded on Darwin’s ideas by blending biology with sociology, – leading to the nature vs. nurture debate. – This helped integrate biological perspectives into psychology, shifting focus from just environmental influences (behaviorism) to considering genetic and evolutionary factors.
- Anthropomorphism and Caution: While Darwin’s work highlighted similarities between humans and animals, – it also led to overgeneralizations. For example: The Clever Hans effect showed – the risk of assuming animals have human-like cognitive abilities without proper scientific controls.
- Impact on Research Methods: Darwin’s emphasis on observation and adaptation influenced experimental designs in psychology, such as behavioral studies with animals (e.g., Open Field Test, Skinner Box). These methods helped psychologists study complex behaviors under controlled conditions.
Which 2 problematic intellectual revolution arose in case of – the Zeitgeist about Charles Darwin - Evotion theory? – Give 1 example.
- People struggled with the idea – that humans are not supernatural.
- People began antropomorphizing that humans and animals are a lot similar.
Give an example of how people have misinterpreted Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.
Survival of the Fittest:
People considered poverty a good thing – as it eliminates people – who do not have – good survival techniques.
How were Charles Darwin’s ideas on natural selection misinterpreted to justify practices like segregation and sterilization, – and why does this misapplication conflict with the core principles of his theory?
Charles Darwin’s ideas on natural selection were misinterpreted – to justify harmful practices like segregation and sterilization – through the development of eugenics, – a concept promoted by his cousin, Francis Galton. –
Eugenics falsely claimed that society could “improve” the human race by controlling reproduction, – favoring certain traits while eliminating others deemed undesirable. – This led to forced sterilizations and discriminatory policies against marginalized groups.
However, this misapplication conflicts with Darwin’s theory because:
- Natural Selection is a Natural Process: Darwin described evolution as an unplanned, natural process driven by environmental pressures, not something that should be controlled by humans.
- No Hierarchy of “Better” or “Worse” Traits: Darwin never suggested that some human traits or groups are inherently superior. – Evolution focuses on traits that improve survival in specific environments.
How did Galton and Darwin’s ideas challenge anthropomorphism in animal behavior research, and how might Morgan’s Cannon explain a dog’s reaction to peeing on the carpet, as compared to how a child reacts to a parent’s emotional response after a fall? Additionally, what role does C. Lloyd’s view of animal consciousness play in distinguishing between human-like emotions and reactions in animals?
Galton and Darwin challenged anthropomorphism and emphasized that animals don’t share human-like emotions. –
Morgan’s Cannon would explain a dog’s reaction to peeing on the carpet as a response to the owner’s behavior, not guilt. – Similarly, children react to their parent’s emotional cues after a fall, rather than understanding the event itself. –
C. Lloyd argued that animals have consciousness but should not be seen as experiencing human emotions, suggesting that behaviors like an animal’s eye watering are reactions to events, not signs of sadness.
How did the shift towards behaviorism influence our understanding of animal consciousness, and why is it important to study animal behavior from an observational perspective, focusing on actions rather than assuming a human-like level of consciousness? How does this relate to Morgan’s Cannon and C. Lloyd’s view of animal consciousness?
The shift to behaviorism focused on observable actions rather than animal consciousness, – suggesting animals should be studied based on their behavior. –
Morgan’s Cannon warns against anthropomorphizing animals, while C. Lloyd acknowledges animal consciousness – but emphasizes it’s different from human consciousness. – Both views support interpreting animal behavior through observable actions, not human-like emotions.
How did the shift in zeitgeist towards increased objectivity in studying animal behavior, focusing solely on measurable characteristics, impact our understanding of animal consciousness and behavior, and how does this relate to the principles of behaviorism and Morgan’s Cannon?
The shift towards objectivity in studying animal behavior focused on measurable actions, – aligning with behaviorism and Morgan’s Cannon, – which cautioned against attributing human-like emotions to animals. —- While this approach made studies more scientific, it sometimes overlooked the complexity of animal consciousness, as C. Lloyd pointed out, – suggesting animals have consciousness but it’s different from humans.
How did Wilson’s integration of sociology and biology shape the nature vs. nurture debate, and how did this lead to the development of sociobiology and evolutionary psychology?
How does this perspective influence contemporary animal research?
Wilson’s idea of combining sociology and biology – helped start the nature vs. nurture debate, – showing we need to consider both influences on behavior. - While behaviourist focused on nurture, evoloutionarist focused on nature - This led to sociobiology and later evolutionary psychology, which recognized that the brain, like other body parts, is shaped by biology. —
–** Early animal research lacked rigor, but now we focus on more careful studies, like the *open field test, to *measure anxiety in animals.
Contemporary Comparative Psycholgy – Post Darwin — from here on—
— from here on—
How did Wilson’s integration of sociology and biology shape the nature vs. nurture debate, and how did this lead to the development of sociobiology and evolutionary psychology? How did early animal experiments, such as the open field test, contribute to our understanding of anxiety-related behavior, and why were they considered less rigorous than contemporary methods?
**Wilson’s **idea of combining sociology and biology helped create the nature vs. nurture debate, – leading to sociobiology and evolutionary psychology. – This approach showed that both biology and environment shape behavior. – Early animal experiments, like the open field test, helped us study anxiety by measuring how much time an animal spent in the center of a box. – The more time it spend, the more anxious it was. – These tests were important but NOT very rigorous compared to today’s more careful methods.
How did the shift toward standardization in animal research, like the use of environment enrichment, improve experimental methods?
The shift to standardization, including environment enrichment, helped make experiments more accurate by mimicking real-life conditions for animals. For example, providing mice with exercise wheels and cognitive challenges, like maze tasks or food puzzles. – This addresses that animals are tested in environments similar to their natural habitats, – not cramped cages.
How did the need for standardized protocols contribute to the development of tests like the Open Field Test, Shuttle Box, and Forced Swim Task?
The idea of understand behaviour and mental process from evolution perspective influenced behavioural studies.. – in order to get same replicable results standardized protocal were a good ideas. – Standardized protocols helped so the experiments could be replicated and reliable. – This led to the development of tests like the Open Field Test and Shuttle Box, which were designed to measure behaviors like anxiety and depression in animals, – ensuring consistent results.
What role did the experiences of World War I and II play in advancing psychological research and the use of animal models to develop treatments for depression and anxiety?
World War I and II highlighted the need for psychological treatments for soldiers. – Researchers turned to animal models to study and develop solutions for mental health issues like PTSD, anxiety, and depression, which led to the creation of drugs for treatment.
How did these animal studies lead to the creation of antidepressants like Iproniazid and Prozac?
Animal studies, like the Forced Swim Task and Tail Suspension Test, helped researchers understand depression and test potential drugs. – These studies led to the development of antidepressants like Iproniazid and Prozac, which were effective in treating depression in both animals and humans.
How did the shift toward standardization and environment enrichment in animal research reflect the changing zeitgeist in psychology, especially in terms of improving experimental accuracy, addressing ecological concerns, and developing treatments for mental health issues like depression and anxiety following World Wars I and II?
The shift toward standardization and environment enrichment in animal research reflected psychology’s evolving focus on more accurate and ethical methods. – This change helped make experiments more realistic and reliable, – while also addressing ecological concerns. – The need to treat mental health issues after World Wars I and II led to using animals in studies to develop effective treatments for depression and anxiety, – influencing the creation of antidepressants like Prozac.
What was the main reason why psychology took off?
- After WW2 many people were suffering from mental health problems like never before because this was the first time they were exposed to the nuclear weapons and more advanced weapons. The soldiers were exposed to bomb explosion every few minutes for 1 week or 2 week straight. – this led to a lot of mental problem. – therefore psychologists were the ones who through anials research like suspension task etc were able to come up with anidepressant like prozac. – the discovery of antidepressents helped a lot – and the **Americam govt. funded psychologists with a lot of money **and had psychology major assigned in the universities.
What did the success of previous studies lead to?
Developing behavioural tests – where animal behaviour test – became a staple in neuroscience research.
Give an example – where animal behaviour test – became a staple in neuroscience research.
- Forced Swim Task
- Tail Suspession Test
- Morris Water Maze
- Elevated Plus Maze
What else were Developing behavioural tests – research focused on besides mood disorder?
- Memory
-
Learning
OR you can just say - Cognition (as it includes memory and learning).
Which tests were focused on Memory and Learning?
- Morris Water Maze
- Barnes Maze
- Object Placemnet
- Object Recognition
The Morris Water Maze requires the animal to swim to find a hidden platform in a pool of water, while the Barnes Maze is a dry platform with multiple holes where the animal must find the one leading to an escape box.
a behavioral test used in neuroscience research to assess an animal’s spatial memory by presenting them with familiar objects in new locations and measuring how long they take to find displaced objects, indicating whether they recognize the object despite its new position.
Why are you showing me all of this?
Because we have been exposed to this yet and it is integral to psychology.
Most we know about brain now is that it comes from the research
on animals.
- The challenges of balancing scientific objectivity with anthropomorphic tendencies.
- Cognitive Bias & Interpretation
- Measurement & Operationalization Issues
- Ethical Considerations & Welfare
- Communication & Public Perception
Explain: Cognitive Bias & Interpretation.
Researchers may unconsciously project human-like emotions onto animals or AI, influencing data interpretation.
Example: Assuming a dog’s “guilt” based on its body language, e.g., teay eyes rather than actual cognitive awareness of wrongdoing.
Explain: Measurement & Operationalization Issues.
Emotions and mental states are difficult to quantify objectively.
Studies must use clear, operational definitions that minimize subjective attributions.
Explain: Ethical Considerations & Welfare.
Anthropomorphism can lead to ethical concerns in research (e.g., animal rights debates).
Conversely, avoiding it entirely may downplay the complexity of non-human experiences.
Explain: Communication & Public Perception.
Scientists must balance precise language with public accessibility.
Over-anthropomorphizing can lead to misinformation (e.g., AI being described as “thinking” or “feeling”).
