| Abstract: | Comparative psychologists study the "mind" of animals by studying what animals do and what animals are capable of doing. Different investigators address questions of proximal cause, motivation, physiological mechanism, evolutionary and ontogenetic considerations, as well as functional consequences. Some use animal subjects to explore universal theories of behavior; others focus on the diversity of behavior itself. A number of theoretical positions guide the different approaches. Some theories have been proven woefully inadequate, even fatally flawed, but no discipline thrives solely on the validity of a single theory. Let us preserve the data and discard discredited hypotheses, but let us continue to advance our discipline and refrain from wallowing in remorse over erroneous earlier ideas. Ideas are exciting but data endure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
