Lecture 1: introduction and history Flashcards
Original definition of Ethology
The study of animal behavior in it’s natural environment
Current definition of Ethology
The study of the mechanism and evolution of animal behavior.
Behaviorism
- developed by J.B. Watson
- American discipline
- Lab environment/ studied with Norway rats
What behavior studies were emphasized?
LEARNING and theories of behavior
What were 3 major assumption of behaviorism?
- simple reflexes linked by “conditioning” (learning)
- Learning is the most important factor of behavior, not instinct.
- What goes inside an animal is irrelevant, untestable concepts like feelings, expectations, etc.
Ethology
- developed by Konrad Lorenz
- European discipline
- natural environment/ variety of wild animals
What studies of ethology was emphasized?
evolution of behavior, INSTINCT.
Science fields that studies animal behavior
psychology, zoology, ecology, genetics, sociology, evolution, physiology, neurology.
Why is animal behavior a “soft” science?
complex subject, hard to simplify due to complex interactions b/w heredity environment + free will.
Charles Darwin
- British biologist
- developed “Theory of natural selection”, “survival of the fittest”
- realized through adaptation, instinctive behavior would eliminate the process of trial-and-error.
Ivan Pavlor
- Russian physiologist
- Nobel prize –> research pf physiologu of digestion
- Classical conditioning
Ivan
Classical conditioning = associative learning
- uncondition stimulus: sight of food
- uncondition response: salvation to sight of food
- conditioned stimulus: bell or light
- conditioned response: salvation to bell/light
John Watson
- American psychologist, “founder” of behaviorism
- studied with lab animals
Ivan Pavlor
- Russian physiologist
- Nobel prize –> research pf physiology of digestion
- Classical conditioning
John Watson
- American psychologist, “founder” of behaviorism
- studied with lab animals
