Methods & Levels of Analysis/ Animal Use

Methods & Levels of Analysis/ Animal Use

1. Comparative Psychology: Comparative psychologists attempt to make comparisons across species in the hope of gaining a better understanding of behavior.

   • These comparisons provide the best avenue with which to pursue proximate and ultimate (or evolutionary) explanation of phenomena.
     • Informed by numerous disciplines.
       • Use an array of methodology such as field and lab studies to inform explanations of behavior.
   • Researchers became skeptical of studies that relied on biological and cognitive explanations of behavior. They viewed such studies as lacking parsimony and at times being anthropomorphic.
     • Thus, researchers emphasized the interplay between responses as they are determined by the environment, the response type, and the reinforcement received. This is known as Skinnerian Behaviorism or the General Process Approach.

2. Approaches (not comparative psychology)

   • Niche Related or Behavior Systems Approach
     • The combination of our biology and our environment orchestrate our behavior
   • Skinnerian Behaviorism
   • General Process Approach

3. Data

   • Frequency
   • Magnitude
   • Duration
   • Latency
   • Quality

4. Experimental Analysis of Behavior

5. Between Groups vs. Within Groups

6. Animal Use

   • Benefits
     • Bias (Anthropomorphism)
     • Extreme Control
     • Simple Systems Approach
     • Biological and Evolutionary Basis of Behavior
   • Ethics
     • Ethics of Animal Care and Use
     • IACUS