comparative psychology

the study of nonhuman animal behavior with the dual objective of understanding the behavior for its own sake and furthering the understanding of human behavior. Comparative psychology usually involves laboratory studies (compare ethology) and typically refers to research involving nonhuman species whether or not it utilizes the comparative method. Some comparative psychologists engage in both field and laboratory studies. See also animal–human comparison; comparative cognition.

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Psychology term of the day

May 10th 2024

self-consistency perspective

a variation of cognitive dissonance theory in which cognitive dissonance is considered particularly likely to occur when an inconsistency involves some aspect of the self. This perspective differs from self-affirmation theory in that dissonance can be reduced only by resolving the specific inconsistency that gave rise to the discomfort; it does not allow for the possibility that dissonance can be reduced by affirming some other aspect of the self. [originally proposed by U.S. psychologist Elliot Aronson (1932– )]