Animal Psychology

Why do animals behave certain ways? In this self-paced class, we will discuss the psychology of animals, or comparative psychology. Comparative psychology is the scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of non-human animals. 

Lesson #1: 
Video lecture: How do goldfish navigate their environment? Learn about a study where researchers build a "goldfish-driven" car!
Discussion question: How do you think other animals navigate their environment?
Worksheet: Test your knowledge from the lecture

Lesson #2:
Video lecture: Can reptiles perceive visual illusions? Researchers tested both tortoises and bearded dragons.
Discussion question: We will look at optical illusions and compare our perception to what we learned in the study.
Worksheet: Test your knowledge from the lecture

Lesson #3: 
Video lecture: Do gorillas experience yawn contagion? Do gorillas yawn when they see another gorilla yawn?
Discussion question: Do your animals ever experience yawn contagion? How about you?
Worksheet: Test your knowledge from the lecture

Lesson #4: 
Video lecture: How do pangolins track prey? Learn about an endangered species and how psychologists are helping with conservation.
Discussion question: Why might it be important for psychologists to figure out how endangered species track prey?
Worksheet: Test your knowledge from the lecture

No prior knowledge of psychology is needed for the class.