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.
Approaches (not comparative psychology)
Niche Related or Behavior Systems Approach
The combination of our biology
and our environment
orchestrate our behavior