What is comparative psychology?

Most published studies support the idea that animals feel, think and even have something similar to what we know as personality. Furthermore, similarities have been found between their behavior and that of humans – or that of other species -, which is why comparative psychology took on the task of identifying what unites us and differentiates us.

Sometimes this branch is confused with ethology, since both study animal behavior. However, as you will see later, their methods and objectives are different, as are their beginnings.

In this article you will be able to learn about the definition, origins and limits of this discipline. If you want to know what makes us similar to other animals – psychologically speaking – the studies associated with this branch will be interesting to you.

What is comparative psychology?

Comparative psychology is the branch of psychology that tries to understand the behavior and mental life of animals, trying to discover the characteristics that have evolved in a convergent or parallel way. It also studies differences in behavior between species.

Origins of comparative psychology

Although the comparison between the animal mind and the human mind has always had a certain presence in psychology and philosophy, it was Darwin who practically placed it at the center. His theory proposed that the evolutionary continuity between animals and humans at the biological level could also extend to other levels..

Comparative psychology was founded in Great Britain from Darwinism. Those who started the branch intended to do with behavior what biologists did with anatomy: define the levels of complexity of their object of study, even going so far as to talk about a possible mind, more or less sophisticated, that would mediate these behaviors. .

Differences between comparative psychology and ethology

Although the boundary is not clear -since its object of study was similar-, important clues to know if we are on one side or the other:

Ethology has its origins in Europewhile comparative psychology became popular in the United States after being created in Great Britain.Comparative psychology is part of psychology and ethology is closer to the field of zoology.Ethology places more emphasis on instinct and natural behavior of species in their own environment, while comparative psychology does so in the learning and development of behavioral theories.The methods in comparative psychology are experimental, that is, they focus on laboratory work. On the other hand, ethology is based on field observation, in a context where the observer does not take part under any circumstances.

The comparative method

The method used by comparative psychology, as it could not be otherwise, is comparative. With this methodology, psychological processes are studied in certain species and the conclusions drawn are extrapolated to different species.

Experimental studies are focused on finding out at what point in evolutionary history certain psychological characteristics appear, such as learning and memory. Once this point has been determined, it is about establishing how this capacity has evolved until reaching the animal species that has it most developed.

The moral discussion of the experimental method

Comparative psychology studies are usually carried out in laboratories, which is why many of them receive a lot of criticism, since often, in order to control variables, the circumstances or environments that are created are too artificial.

For some experts, the behavior of non-human animals has no validity outside their natural environment, since captivity would be a condition capable of distorting any result. Furthermore, fortunately in recent years we have made great progress in terms of the ethical principles applied in animal studies.

So if there are so many weaknesses, why are these studies done in laboratories? Some compelling reasons for this practice would be the following:

It is cheaper and faster. Possible unforeseen events that occur in nature, such as predation or meteorological events, are avoided. It allows the variables to be studied to be isolated much better. The fact of ruling out the influence of the natural environment makes it easier to draw conclusions about the behavior of human beings, since they are considered “clean” results.

Some of the studies that we consider classics today, such as that of Harry Harlow, highlight the need for a new approach to this discipline. In this example, attachment styles were studied in macaques, separating the offspring from the mother as soon as they were born. The little monkeys were kept in sensory isolation cells and made to choose between a monkey-shaped doll and a cylinder with a bottle.

Beyond the discussions, the knowledge of comparative psychology has value. Not only do they give us a more global perspective of our own nature, but it allows us to understand others that are part of our ecosystems, with which we somehow coexist.

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