Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

comparative psychology

American  

noun

  1. a branch of psychology involving the study and comparison of the behaviors of diverse animal species, often under controlled laboratory experiments, in order to discover general principles of behavior.


comparative psychology British  

noun

  1. the study of the similarities and differences in the behaviour of different species

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of comparative psychology

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

This, the squishy and contentious realm of comparative psychology and cognitive ethology, asks such questions as: Do dogs experience jealousy?

From Washington Post Jul. 1, 2022

Animal behavior has been studied for decades, by biologists in the science of ethology, by psychologists in the science of comparative psychology, and by scientists of many disciplines in the study of neurobiology.

From Textbooks Jun. 9, 2022

Still, one cannot study behavioral biology without touching on both comparative psychology and ethology.

From Textbooks Jun. 9, 2022

In terms of comparative psychology and animal welfare science, you know, we all are aiming at understanding capacities and experiences of individual animals.

From The Verge Jul. 8, 2021

The excellent fellow who lent himself with such good grace to my strange wishes will never guess how much comparative psychology will owe him!

From The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles by Teixeira de Mattos, Alexander

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training