Translation among research paradigms in animal psychology

Abstract

Species comparison, whether explicit or implicit, is an essence in animal psychology but the role of species comparison differs among research paradigms. For example, associative learning and neuroscientific research examines proximal causes of behavior, and different species are compared in order to test the generality of mechanisms. Comparative cognition, on the other hand, examines what natural history influences cognition, and different species are compared in order to hypothesize ultimate causes that explain species difference found under experimental circumstances. Finding a synthesized interpretation of species difference across multiple paradigms does not facilitate better understanding what species similarities (and differences) mean. Instead, I discuss that more translation should be done between the paradigms. Translation brings critiques and novel ideas from one paradigm to the other, yet preserving ideas in each approach. It, therefore, allows us to interpret psychological phenomena from multiple perspectives, and thus provide novel insights to each other. Translations among the diverse paradigms within the discipline of animal psychology will also provide unique perspectives to research in human psychology.View full abstract