| Abstract: | Comparative psychology and the study of animal learning have been closely related since the start of both areas of study. At its inception, comparative psychology addressed questions about the evolution of consciousness and intelligence. The scope of comparative psychology then increased to include a wide range of issues related to behavioral evolution and adaptation. Both of these aspects of comparative psychology are reflected in contemporary research on animal learning. Contemporary investigations of animal learning and cognition reflect the roots of comparative psychology in questions about animal intelligence. Contemporary studies of adaptive specializations and functions of learning are related to the contemporary emphasis in comparative psychology on the role of behavior in evolution and adaptation. In addition, the comparative method remains important in the study of both specialized and general learning processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
