ethology
n. the comparative study of the behavior of nonhuman animals, typically in their natural habitat but also involving experiments both in the field and in captivity. Ethology was developed by behavioral biologists in Europe and is often associated with connotations of innate or species-specific behavior patterns, in contrast with comparative psychology. The theory and methods from both areas are now closely interrelated, and animal behavior is a more neutral and more broadly encompassing term. Increasingly, ethology is used to describe research involving observation and detailed descriptions of human behavior as well. —ethological
adj.
—ethologist
n.