Comparative psychology

• 1

  • N-HA can be used as part of comparative psychology + ethological psychology when undergoing psychological research of whether they are useful or problematic
• 2(1)

  • Comparative psychology includes studying non-human animals, often to draw comparisons with humans
• 2(2)

  • Harlow (1959) conducted research with infant rhesus monkeys, providing them with two surrogate mothers – one with a feeding bottle and the other wrapped in soft cloth.
  • Despite the availability of food, the monkeys preferred the cloth-covered mother,
  • shows importance of contact comfort over feeding
  • Study allowed comparisons to be made with humans on the understanding of emotional development within infants and the caregiver
  • also showed how using animals in research in useful as it allowed monkeys lives in captivity to be improved
• 3- Counter

  • However, this study was ethically wrong as they caused harm to the monkeys as they became emotionally maladjusted
  • led to them leaving their own children as they were unable to socialise and form relationships with other monkeys
  • Some psychologicsts believe that human beings are distinctly different from other animals – even those with higheer intelligence such as chimpanzees and dolphins
• 3(2)

  • Not only are humans unique from other species but they are unique between themselves
  • E.G. - Apes + monkeys share the human genotype but they do not share our phenotype
  • This is because they live in a different environments and have different relationships.