Comparative Psychology

This course investigates psychological processes across species and integrates developments in neuroscience, psychology and ethology. Research from both controlled laboratory and comparative studies in the natural environment will introduce students to the emerging and rapidly developing field of comparative psychology. While discovering the existence of avian fashion shows, monkey binge drinking, pig video game bonanzas and elephant funerals, students will find that nonhuman animals are not as different from human animals as we previously thought! Due to this awareness, the interconnectedness of life becomes more apparent. In this course, critical thinking and active participation are encouraged. Additionally, a field trip to see lessons and a talk about hippotherapy (therapy via the interaction between horses and people) at the Center for Environmental Education as well as a tour of the Museum in the Institute of Anatomy at Charles University are included. The primary purpose of this course is to understand the fundamentals of Comparative Psychology in terms of concepts and research methods as well as the evolutionary foundation and binding theories underlying our mutual connections with all non-human animal species in multiple domains (including evolutionary, cognitive, emotional and moral).