Develop a better relationship with pets and animals
Animals do share some behavioural characteristics with people but it can be dangerous to assume too much similarity. Animal behaviour is far less affected by choices reached through reasoning.
This course is relevant to pet owners, veterinary assistants, or people who work with animals (eg. on farms, zoos, pet shops, horse trainers, etc). In understanding animal behaviour, we extend our basis for understanding human behaviour, and as such, the course may also be valuable for anyone studying general psychology.
Duration: 100 Hours (Nominal Duration).
COURSE STRUCTURE
There are eight lessons in this course:
1. Introduction: Influences and motivation.
- Ethology
- What is behaviour Purpose of Animal behaviour
- What motivates behaviours
- Behaviour types (Reactive, Active, Cognitive)
- Learned Behaviours (Classic conditioning, Reinforcement, Extinction, Operant Conditioning, Skinners experiments
- Other influences (external stimuli, Internal stimuli, Physiological responses, Psychological responses)
- Terminology
- Observing animals
2. Genetics and Behaviour.
- Understanding basics of genetics
- Terminology (eg. alleles, allelomorphs, genes,phenotype, mitosis, homozygous, genotype, etc)
- Environmental affect
- Heritability
- Epigenisis
- Innate behaviour
- Interaction between different species
- Survival
- Case study : Inherited traits in horse behaviour
3. Animal Perception and Behaviour.
- Animal communication and perception
- How animals perceive things
- Imprinting
- Types of stimuli; Visual, Auditory, Tactile, Chemical
- Monocular and binocular vision
- Terminology
- Neural control
4. Behaviour and the Environment.
- Orthokinesis
- Klinokinesis
- Navigation
- Homeostasis
- Thermoregulation
- Motivation
- Biological Clocks
- Sun Compass
- Migration
- Tolerance
- Acclimatisation
- Hibernation
- Sexual and Reproductive behaviours
5. Social Behaviour.
- Animal Societies
- Aggression
- Fight or flight response
- Social constraints
- Sexual behaviour
- Social order
- Bonding
- Courtship
- Territorial behaviour
- Feeding
- Vocalisations
- Case Studies –birds, dogs
- Terminology
6. Instinct and Learning.
- Shaping
- Extinction and Habituation
- Instrumental Learning
- Thorndykes Law of Effect
- Operant and Respondant behaviour
- Biological aspects of learning
- Cognition
- Associative Learning
- Case studies: Early learning in dogs, Early learning in cats
- Comparative Intelligence
7. Handling Animals.
- Domestication of animals
- Problems
- Handling animals
- Psychological affects of different handling techniques
- Preventing problems with pets
- Training animals (Examples: birds, rabbits, horses, cattle etc).
- Terminology
- The student has a choice of which types of animals to focus on, though a variety will still be covered.
8. Behavioural Problems.
- Abnormal behaviour (eg. Psychotic, neurotic);
- Domestication of animals
- Diagnosing behaviour
- Psychotic disorders
- Case Study; Behavioural Problems with cats; various types of aggression and other problems.
- Training cats
- Case Study; Aggression and other problems with dogs
- Training dogs
- Case Study; Behavioural problems with pigs
- Terminology
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
Identify factors affecting animal behaviour.- Describe the influence of genes on animal behaviour.
- Explain how animals perceive and how they respond to various stimuli.
- Explain the influence of environment factors, such as circadian rhythms, on biological clocks, reproductive cycles, orientation and other animal behaviours.
- Explain the social influences on animal aggression, play, sexual behaviour, communication and other behaviours.
- Describe different ways that animals learn (such as conditioning and habituation) and some effects of learning on behaviour.
- Discuss psychological implications of different handling techniques.
- Identify abnormal animal behaviour (eg. psychotic, neurotic behaviour) and ways to reduce dependence on humans.
Some Sample Course notes -
WHAT IS ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR?
Behaviour is any externally observable activity of an animal. In general, it includes:
What is the Purpose of Animal Behaviour?
It is assumed that all animal behaviour is an adaptation designed to support survival, either directly or indirectly. However, this is not always the case. Animals can behave self-destructively, out of habit, or out of boredom, just as humans can. To better understand the behaviour, we should also consider what motivates it.
What Motivates Behaviour?
Genetics is of prime importance (ie. inherited characteristics). Genetic characteristics are also sometimes referred to as “inborn”, “innate” or “instinctive”. Most animals are genetically programmed to act in certain ways in certain situations.
Experience (ie. learned characteristics). Experience may encompass terms including: “acquired”, “experiential” or “environmental”. Behaviours can be learned through the experience of interacting with the environment (which includes the people or other creatures in it), or it can be learned through personal, subjective experience (perceptions, thoughts and feelings). In the case of animals, these latter factors are usually difficult to identify.
Since genetic and environmental factors both influence behaviour, it is impossible to distinguish particular causes for a behaviour. Particularly in regard to animals, no behaviour can ever be characterised as totally instinctive or totally learned. Even though learned and genetic factors both play a role in all behaviours, the relative significance of each is variable.
Some behaviours in animals can be relatively unlearned and therefore, almost impossible to modify. In such cases, we can determine that genetics is the major influence. Other behaviours are relatively easy to modify, thus mostly learned. In such cases, we can determine that genetics has a minor influence.
OTHER COURSES
If you are interested in this course, you may be interested in some of our other animal or psychology courses. You can find further information on psychology at http://www.acsedu.co.uk/courses/product_listings.aspx?query=psychology or on animal courses at http://www.acsedu.co.uk/courses/product_listings.aspx?query=animal
If you would like to see our range of psychology books, please visit - http://www.acsbookshop.com/books_productcategory.aspx?id=14
For more information on the range of careers available in psychology, have a look at - http://www.thecareersguide.com/articles.aspx?category=14
We have some interesting articles on psychology and counseling at - http://www.acs.edu.au/psychol/
Understanding behaviour is a vital aspect of handling any animals
All animals have very different and specialised abilities that result from both innate programming and learned behaviours. Understanding the processes behind any exhibited behaviour or action can greatly assist people in correctly and safely handling the animal. The study of animal behaviour provides a foundation for animal training, or more generally, animal care. It also provides very real insights and a foundation for understanding human behaviour. During the course of your studies you may choose to focus your learning on a particular animal or group of animals. This course is highly relevant to pet owners, vet assistants, zoo employees, wildlife carers or anyone working with animals in any situation.
