Animal Behavior
Psychology, a field of study in which knowing why people behave the way do is an important aspect into advancing our knowledge and our understanding of humans and human behavior. In order to achieve this advance, psychologists undergo research-involving animals. You might be thinking, what things can animals do to explain why I behave the way I do, well, the answer is, a lot! Although Animals are not humans, by studying animals and animal behavior psychologist along with many other people have been able to prove time and again that animals are part of the key into clearing up the storm that is human behavior.Animal behavior, the way different kinds of animals behave, which has fascinated inquiring minds since at least the time of Plato and Aristotle. The things that have been particularly intriguing are the animals ability to perform complicated tasks, such as, weave a web, build a nest, sing a song, find a home, or capture food, with little or no instruction. Such behavior can be viewed from two very different perspectives. Either animals learn everything they do from "nurture", or they know what to do instinctively from nature. Neither extreme has proven to be correct. Many different people, who have ha
"To an extreme behaviorist, then, animals must learn all the behavioral patterns that they need to know". Next being rewarded only when it stands next to the bar, then only when it touches the bar with its body, and so on, until the behavior is shaped to suit the task". The dogs salivating at the sight of food is an unconditioned response to an unconditioned stimulus. Animal research has allowed us to learn the affect of drugs on humans, and has donated to many treatments in such things as self-esteem, autistic children, and genetics. Behaviorists see salivation as a simple reflex behavior, something like the knee-jerk reflex doctor's trigger when they tap a patient's knee with a hammer. It will naturally do whatever it takes in order to survive. Darwin believed that the adaptations that were necessary for survival were passed on from generation to generation. "In operant conditioning, a rat, for example, is taught to press a bar for food by first being rewarded for facing the correct end of the cage. Through studies done such as Charles Darwin's and Ivan Pavlov's we have been able to uncover many mysteries about human behaviors such as learning styles, emotions, and physical characteristics. Animal research has also contributed to the knowledge of motivational systems, such as hunger, thirst, and reproduction. Through the naturalist philosophy, many people have been able to develop many theories between human and animal behavior. Animal research has aided in the advances in human society in all aspects of life and should be continued as long as the cost does not out-weigh the benefits. The other category in learning would be operant conditioning.
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