Do you know what ethology studies? After reading this article, you will find the answer to this question. In addition, we describe the basic concepts and ideas considered in the framework of this science. "Ethology" is a word that was used as early as the 2nd half of the 18th - the beginning of the 19th century. However, it was then used only in relation to a person to indicate the character, as well as its interpretation, based on the study of gestures.
Classical ethology
At the beginning of the 20th century, ethology is already an independent scientific discipline. At first, she studied stereotypical movements and various animal instincts - she was engaged in their determination and comparative analysis.
Ethology is a science whose occurrence is connected with the works of C. O. Whitman, W. Craig, O. Heinroth. Classical science has reached the pinnacle of development in the works of N. Tinbergen, K. Lorenz, C. von Frisch. These scientists in their works laid the foundations of ethology. The main emphasis in research was on the analysis of the phenomenon of motivation. K. Lorenz proposed a hydraulic model of behavior that explained the action of, seemingly, all of its regulators. The scientist noted that with the growth of motivation (for example, if the animal is deprived of food), specific energy is accumulated, relating only to this type of behavior. After some time, she must certainly find a way out. Because of this, the animal during food deprivation demonstrates motor activity aimed at finding food. After the completion of a certain behavioral act (in our case, satiation), the rest phase begins. This behavior (for example, food) during this period can no longer be detected.
Rethinking Concepts
Ethology is a science in which, over time, a rethinking of concepts has occurred. Thanks to the accumulated knowledge, many of them could no longer satisfy scientists. It became obvious that the underlying concepts of motivation analysis of activation and motivation do not facilitate behavioral research, but rather complicate them. There are doubts that the models explaining motivation accumulation of energy are useful.
Scientists belonging to the classical school, focused on the study of congenital forms of behavior, genetically determined. However, despite this, it should be noted that an integral system of behavior acted as the object of their study. It includes not only innate elements, but also acquired ones.
Modern ethology
Modern ethology is a science about the behavior of animals and humans, which has entered a new phase of its research. She closely interacts with zoopsychology and comparative psychology. Today we can talk about the emergence of a kind of synthetic science. The behavior in it is widely studied. Ethology is the science of its evolution, of functional and adaptive significance. In addition, studies are being conducted on mechanisms to control the manifestations of behavior, etc.
The main task of modern ethology
Ethologists proceed from the fact that the way animals and people behave under natural living conditions is closely related to the morphology of the object, mainly with the structure of the nervous system. Scientists are clearly moving away from traditional research on "evolution of instincts." The main task is no longer to determine what form of behavior and how much is determined by the influence of the external environment or genotype. In 1977, L.V. Krushinsky wrote that the question of acquired or innate forms of behavior is meaningless. We can only understand the level of its development, the "height of the psyche", as well as the ability to perform certain actions among representatives of various taxa. In addition, we can determine the degree of variability of these actions, since it is hardly hereditary.
Behavior motivation
Ethology has made an important contribution to the development of social disciplines. This is due to the fact that the presence of channels for the development of human and animal behavior is proved. It is not genetically determined, according to modern ideas of scientists. However, this does not mean at all that behavior is infinitely malleable to environmental influences. There is also a behavioral predisposition in humans and animals. It is connected with the fact that the possibilities of learning individuals have their limits. The nature of the sensorimotor apparatus imposes its limitations on individuals. In addition, the properties of the nervous system and the ability to perceive information are not unlimited. Many ethologists today abandon previously existing ideas about motivation. They believe that this concept refers to phenomena whose nature is still not well understood.
Behavior and Physiology
At different levels, ethologists explain the nature of behavior: ethological, psychological, physiological. The mechanisms of the last level include sensory-perceptual, humoral and nervous. However, the physiological approach to behavior is facing serious difficulties. This is due to the fact that behavior and the physiological mechanisms associated with it constantly mutually influence each other. Physiology, on the one hand, controls behavior. However, if you look from the other side, everything happens exactly the opposite. After all, behavior can regulate physiological processes. It is known, for example, about the effect of the endocrine system on the manifestations of aggressiveness. In addition, we know that under the influence of behavior, the level of hormones in the blood of animals can change. The close interdependence between them suggests that physiology is more an internal mechanism for the realization of behavior than its driving force and cause.
Behavior and Psychology
Y. Badridze and N. Ovsyanikov suggest looking for a key to understanding the processes of interest to ethologists on a psychological level. These authors believe that a special concept should be used to understand the psychological mechanisms of behavior. It's about psychological comfort. In the model of these scientists, he is presented as a driving system of behavior. This approach involves the consideration of any behavioral reaction as two psychological states - discomfort and comfort. Moreover, the latter is an equilibrium psychological state observed in the absence of contradictions between current activity, need and environmental factors. A comfortable, balanced state is emotionally positive. Discomfort is observed when one of the three factors listed above conflicts with the rest. These changes lead to negative emotions.
Model Badridze and Ovsyanikov
The model of Y. Badridze and N. Ovsyanikov suggests that animals in their behavior tend to maintain a state of psychological comfort. To do this, they try to make sure that all parameters are in accordance with each other. This hypothesis has the following positive point: it can be applied universally to the analysis of the behavior of organisms on an individual level. In addition, this approach presents an attempt to find mechanisms that work within the system of behavior. And the third point is the recognition that animals are able to predict the course of events in the physical and social environment, as well as adjust their own actions in accordance with possible changes.
This reflects the ideas of modern ethology about the role of the conscious and unconscious in animal behavior. However, there are also negative points. This is the ambiguity of this approach, as well as the lack of methods for measuring internal balance, emotional state. In addition, it is not clear how the ethology of animal behavior can assess their needs.
Ethological approach to behavior
The ethological approach developed by R. Hind focuses on the analysis of internal mechanisms of behavior at the group and individual levels. It is emphasized that its laws at the social level are not reducible to the sum of manifestations at a lower level.
Relationships and interactions between individuals
The ethology of humans and animals has recently paid great attention not to the analysis of the behavior of individual individuals, but to the study of the relationships and interactions between them. It is assumed that each individual interacting with others has his own ideas about the possible behavior of partners corresponding to this situation. Individuals get the necessary insights based on past experiences with their species. If two unfamiliar individuals make contact with a hostile character, their behavior is limited mainly to a series of demonstrations. This communication is often enough for one of them to declare himself defeated.
He demonstrates this fact by submission. This happens peacefully due to the fact that individuals are able to determine the capabilities and strength of the opponent by external signs (health and fatness, size, temperament, manner of holding, age, etc.). If individuals have already interacted with each other many times, special relationships appear between them, which take place against the backdrop of social contacts. Agree, this science is very entertaining. Ethology today is not in vain gaining great popularity. Probably, there is no such person who would not be interested in an explanation of behavior.
Relationship networks
At the present stage, the list of what ethology studies is complemented by new areas of research. She is trying to find out a number of questions that cannot be answered based on traditional theories of instinct and motivation. First of all, it remains to be seen why social systems in humans and animals are always structured, and why these structures are organized almost always according to a hierarchical principle.
In animals, networks of relationships are described in terms of sexual, kinship, individual selectivity, and dominance systems. In humans, they are much more diverse. Networks can overlap (in particular, in groups of primates, reproductive, family, and rank relationships), but they can exist separately from each other (for example, networks of teenage relationships at school with peers and in the family). Entering into relationships, groups of individuals form a social structure. It is important to note that there is a constant mutual influence between different levels of social complexity.
We answered the question of what is ethology. The determination of the areas of her research was done both historically and in terms of various approaches. Of course, we have described only the main issues of interest to scientists in this direction. Both applied ethology and theoretical are actively developing today, therefore, in the future, new areas of research are likely to appear.