Studies In Animal And Human Behaviour

Advances in the Study of Behavior was initiated over 40 years ago to serve the increasing number of scientists engaged in the study of animal behavior. That number is still expanding. This volume makes another important "contribution to the development of the field" by presenting theoretical ideas and research to those studying animal behavior and to their colleagues in neighboring fields. Initiated over 40 years ago to serve the increasing number of scientists engaged in the study of animal behavior Makes another important contribution to the development of the field Presents theoretical ideas and research to those studying animal behavior and to their colleagues in neighboring fields

Featuring animal research, from pigeons to primates, this book explains how comparative psychology can enrich our insights into human psychological processes. Each chapter covers a different clinical disorder or problem commonly encountered by clinical psychologists and therapists, including depression, autism and social communication disorders, substance abuse and obesity, and reviews related research into animal behaviors. Revealing how animal models can grant psychologists a better understanding of the motivations and causes for behaviors that are impossible or challenging to study in humans, the authors suggest interventions, drawn from research findings in comparative psychology, that can effectively address psychological disorders in humans.

Excerpt from chapter III: Subject of animal behavior has been of in- terest to human beings from the earliest times, but it has not been taken very seriously until a comparatively recent date. The ways of animals were considered curious, interesting and in many ways useful things to know about, but the great theoretical import of animal psychology was unsuspected until it came to be recognized that our own minds are the outgrowth of the animal mind, and that to obtain a truly scientific human psychology it is necessary to have a clear insight into the psychology of the lower animals from which we are descended. Near the middle of the nineteenth century Herbert Spencer enunciated the principle that, If the doctrine of evolution be true the inevitable implication is that mind can be understood only by observing how mind is evolved, and he boldly plunged forward upon an undertaking to remodel the science of psychology from the genetic standpoint. The result was the publication in 1855, four years before the appearance of the Origin of Species, of the Principles of Psychology, a work which for sheer originality, independence of treatment and profound grasp of the subject stands almost without a rival in the history of the science. Notwithstanding the work of Spencer, genetic psychology was given perhaps its greatest impetus by Darwin, not only through his influence in establishing the general doctrine of organic evolution, but also through his careful work on, and illuminating treatment of the mental life of animals.

Expanding on the National Research Council's Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, this book deals specifically with mammals in neuroscience and behavioral research laboratories. It offers flexible guidelines for the care of these animals, and guidance on adapting these guidelines to various situations without hindering the research process. Guidelines for the Care and Use of Mammals in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research offers a more in-depth treatment of concerns specific to these disciplines than any previous guide on animal care and use. It treats on such important subjects as: The important role that the researcher and veterinarian play in developing animal protocols. Methods for assessing and ensuring an animal's well-being. General animal-care elements as they apply to neuroscience and behavioral research, and common animal welfare challenges this research can pose. The use of professional judgment and careful interpretation of regulations and guidelines to develop performance standards ensuring animal well-being and high-quality research. Guidelines for the Care and Use of Mammals in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research treats the development and evaluation of animal-use protocols as a decision-making process, not just a decision. To this end, it presents the most current, in-depth information about the best practices for animal care and use, as they pertain to the intricacies of neuroscience and behavioral research.