Ethology is the science of studying the behavior of animals in their natural environment. While much attcntion has been paid in robotics to neuroscientific models of behavior (e.g., [1,17]), less attention has been paid to realistic ethological models other than in simulated studies. It is our contention that ethology provides great insights into the design of practical robotic systems. In this...

The public profile of animal behavior research is out of all proportion to the number of biologists who engage in this kind of work, or the share of funding which they receive. The television genre of the ‘wildlife program’ was substantially shaped by the early contributions of Niko Tinbergen and his students, such as Desmond Morris at Granada Television. High-profile public controversies about...

This article discusses Bowlby's development of an ethological-evolutionary perspective, and its implications for psychotherapy with adults. According to Bowlby, attachment behavior is instinctive, having emerged throughout the course of evolution to ensure protection and actual survival. Because the environment affects how attachment behavior unfolds, adverse experiences can divert developmenta...

According to modern animal welfare legislation, animals should be protected from suffering and lasting harm not for the benefit of us humans as in earlier anthropocentric conceptions, but in their own interest. The driving force behind animal protection is our empathy with animals which triggers feelings of compassion. Empathy with animals most likely is a psychological side-effect of adaptive ...

Attachment theory is the joint work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth (Ainsworth & Bowlby, 1991 ). Drawing on concepts from ethology, cybernetics, information processing, developmental psychology, and psychoanalysts, John Bowlby formulated the basic tenets of the theory. He thereby revolutionized our thinking about a child’s tie to the mother and its disruption through separation, deprivation, ...