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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Zoology & animal sciences > Animal behaviour
This book is about the evolution and nature of cooperation and altruism in social-living animals, focusing especially on non-human primates and on humans. Although cooperation and altruism are often thought of as ways to attenuate competition and aggression within groups, or are related to the action of "selfish genes", there is increasing evidence that these behaviors are the result of biological mechanisms that have developed through natural selection in group-living species. This evidence leads to the conclusion that cooperative and altruistic behavior are not just by-products of competition but are rather the glue that underlies the ability for primates and humans to live in groups. The anthropological, primatological, paleontological, behavioral, neurobiological, and psychological evidence provided in this book gives a more optimistic view of human nature than the more popular, conventional view of humans being naturally and basically aggressive and warlike. Although competition and aggression are recognized as an important part of the non-human primate and human behavioral repertoire, the evidence from these fields indicates that cooperation and altruism may represent the more typical, "normal", and healthy behavioral pattern. The book is intended both for the general reader and also for students at a variety of levels (graduate and undergraduate): it aims to provide a compact, accessible, and up-to-date account of the current scholarly advances and debates in this field of study, and it is designed to be used in teaching and in discussion groups. The book derived from a conference sponsored by N.S.F., the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, the Washington University Committee for Ethics and Human Values, and the Anthropedia Foundation for the study of well-being.
This volume provides a broad overview of issues in the philosophy of behavioral biology, covering four main themes: genetic, developmental, evolutionary, and neurobiological explanations of behavior. It is both interdisciplinary and empirically informed in its approach, addressing philosophical issues that arise from recent scientific findings in biological research on human and non-human animal behavior. Accordingly, it includes papers by professional philosophers and philosophers of science, as well as practicing scientists. Much of the work in this volume builds on presentations given at the international conference, "Biological Explanations of Behavior: Philosophical Perspectives," held in 2008 at the Leibniz Universitat Hannover in Germany. The volume is intended to be of interest to a broad range of audiences, which includes philosophers (e.g., philosophers of mind, philosophers of biology, and metaethicists), as well as practicing scientists, such as biologists or psychologists whose interests relate to biological explanations of behavior. "
A completely up-to-date introduction to the most common group of bees in Britain. Bees, for most people, mean honey or bumble bees, but in fact these social species make up only a small proportion of the species that live in Britain. Open your eyes to the so-called ‘solitary’ bees, and discover a wonderfully diverse population – miners, leafcutters, carpenters and masons – many of which can be found in your own back garden. Solitary bees come in a variety of colours and sizes, with some as large as bumblebees and some only a few millimetres long, and many are key pollinators for our crops and wildflowers. This comprehensive book will tell the story of how these bees live, reproduce and thrive: discover the numerous strategies used by male bees to find females and persuade them to mate; follow the females as they build their nests – or in the case of ‘cuckoo’ species, sneak into the nests of their neighbours – and watch as the new generation appears. Explore the interactions between flowering plants and their bee visitors, asking what the plants get from the relationship, as well as how the bees select the plants they visit, and the ingenuity required to extract pollen, nectar and other rewards. Finally, learn places where bees flourish and what can be done to encourage them and ensure they continue to pollinate our flowers and crops. Drawing on all the latest research as well as the authors’ own observations in the field, this timely New Naturalist gives a wonderful insight into the complicated lives of solitary bees, and the complexity of the behaviour and ecology of this remarkable group of insects.
The common fruit fly - Drosophila melanogaster - has been the subject of genetics research since the early twentieth century. The complete genomic sequence of Drosophila was published in 2000 and it is still the model organism par excellence for the experimental study of biological phenomena and processes. It is also by far the best model for studying gene function in mammals, including humans. Presenting state-of-the-art studies on the behaviour of Drosophila, this volume discusses normal and pathological models of neurobehavioral disorders and encompasses the specialised methods that have been used, from anatomical, histological, immunohistological and neurophysiological to genomic, genetic and behavioural assays. A comprehensive and thorough reference, this volume is a valuable resource for students and researchers alike across several disciplines of life sciences, including behavioral genetics, neurogenetics, behavioral neuroscience, molecular biology, evolutionary biology and population biology.
A compendium of slimy and repulsive facts from the authors of Does it Fart? What is hyena butter, and would you want to put it on toast? A hagfish can produce how much slime in 60 seconds? Which animal produces a snotty sleeping bag? How does a bubble snail use mucus to get around? Which organism is the slime champion? Find out the answer to these and other slimy facts and more in Believe it or Snot, the new book from the authors of the New York Times bestseller Does it Fart? and the follow-through True or Poo. Slime, sludge, mucus, ooze, goo - it's all covered in here (but at least you're not covered in it).
A fascinating examination of socially parasitic invaders, from butterflies to bacteria, that survive and thrive by exploiting the communication systems of ant colonies. Down below, on sidewalks, in fallen leaves, and across the forest floor, a covert invasion is taking place. Ant colonies, revered and studied for their complex collective behaviors, are being infiltrated by tiny organisms called myrmecophiles. Using incredibly sophisticated tactics, various species of butterflies, beetles, crickets, spiders, fungi, and bacteria insert themselves into ant colonies and decode the colonies' communication system. Once able to "speak the language," these outsiders can masquerade as ants. Suddenly colony members can no longer distinguish friend from foe. Pulitzer Prize-winning author and biologist Bert Hoelldobler and behavioral ecologist Christina L. Kwapich explore this remarkable phenomenon, showing how myrmecophiles manage their feat of code-breaking and go on to exploit colony resources. Some myrmecophiles slip themselves into their hosts' food sharing system, stealing liquid nutrition normally exchanged between ant nestmates. Other intruders use specialized organs and glandular secretions to entice ants or calm their aggression. Guiding readers through key experiments and observations, Hoelldobler and Kwapich reveal a universe of behavioral mechanisms by which myrmecophiles turn ants into unwilling servants. As The Guests of Ants makes clear, symbiosis in ant societies can sometimes be mutualistic, but, in most cases, these foreign intruders exhibit amazingly diverse modes of parasitism. Like other unwelcome guests, many of these myrmecophiles both disrupt and depend on their host, making for an uneasy coexistence that nonetheless plays an important role in the balance of nature.
This book started as a symposium on Achievement Motiva tion at the 1978 American Educational Research Association Convention. The participants in that symposium were Jack Atkinson, Martin Maehr, Dick De Charms, Joel Raynor, and Dave Hunt. The subsequent response to that symposium indicated a "coming of age" for motivation theory in terms of education. Soon afterward, at a Motivation in Education Conference at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, it became apparent that due to this emergence of motivation what was needed was a comprehensive perspective as to the state of the art of achievement theory. Achievement theory had by now well surpassed its beginnings in the 1950s and 1960s and was ready for a composite presentation and profile of the recent research and theories of motivation. Thus, this volume was born. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each contribu tor to this book as well as Robert L. Linn who critically reviewed several of the manuscripts. Thanks are also due to my former graduate advisors, Martin L. Maehr, Maurice Tatsuoka, and Harry Triandis, for the viewpoints given me in graduate school education which I hope have benefitted this under taking. Joyce Fitch did a splendid joh typing many of these chapters and special gratitude should be given to Judy Cadle of Professional Services, Inc. for the composition and proofing of this book."
Volume I of Theory and Research in Behavioral Pediatrics focused on issues of early human development, with special emphasis given to assessment of the preterm infant and to factors inftuencing the organization of the caregiver infant relationship. Chapters in Volume 2 cover a broader range of topics and encompass a wider age span. Chapter I provides a historical review of the relationship between developmental psychology and pediatrics. The authors, Barbara R. Tinsley and Ross D. Parke, discuss differences between behavioral pediatrics and pediatric psychology and note that interdiscipli nary collaboration in research and application has increased steadily in re cent years. However, if similar collaborative efforts are to occur in education and training of pediatricians and developmental psychologists, it will be necessary to determine just what each discipline hopes to gain from such collaborative efforts. Tinsley and Parke report the results of anational survey designed to determine the areas of developmental psychology that pediatricians perceive to be of potential benefit to them in their delivery of pediatric care. Results of the survey suggest that there are many ways in which developmental psychology could be in corpora ted into the pediatric curriculum. In many respects, Chapter 2 sets the stage for the remaining chapters. Nancy A. Carlson and Thomas Z.
A research team from the United States has completed an examination of citizen participation experiments in seven European countries. The team included Donald Appleyard, Marc Draisen, David Godschalk, Chester Hartman, Janice Perlman, Hans Spiegel, John Zeisel, and ourselves. This book is a product of our joint efforts. Our studies are aimed at summarizing and sharing what can be learned from recent European efforts to enhance the effectiveness of local government through increased public involvement in the organization and management of public services and urban redevelopment. Almost a year was spent assembling the team, developing a shared framework for analysis and identifying appropriate case study cities. European and American public officials and citizen activists helped us assess the potential impact of such a study on current practice. A second year was spent visiting the European cities and preparing the case-study drafts. Finally, team members gathered in Washington, D. C., with fifty American and European public officials, citizen activists, and scholars. A two-day symposium provided an exciting opportunity to present preliminary research findings and encourage an exchange of ideas between researchers, activists, and policymakers. The final versions of the case studies that appear in this book, along with several commentaries by symposium participants, are written especially for city officials and citizen activists. We have tried to translate the results of our scholarly inquiry into pragmatic suggestions for officials and activists."
Discussion of the precise nature and position of boundaries between dis ciplines is nearly always counterproductive; the need is usually to cross them not to emphasize them. And any such discussion of the distinction between ethology and comparative psychology would today seem patently absurd. While there may be differences in outlook, no boundaries exist. But when Frank Beach started in research, that was not the case. Comparative psychology flourished in the United States whereas ethology was unknown. Beach started as a comparative psychologist and has always called himself either that or a behavioral endocrinologist. Yet, among the com parative psychologists of his generation, he has had closer links with the initially European ethologists than almost any other. He was indeed one of the editors of the first volume of Behaviour. That this should have been so is not surprising once one knows that his Ph. D. thesis concerned "The Neural Basis for Innate Behavior," that he used to sleep in the laboratory so that he could watch mother rats giving birth, and that in 1935 he was using model young to analyze maternal behavior. Furthermore, for nine years he worked in the American Museum of Natural History-in a department first named Experimental Biology and later, when Beach had saved it from extinction and become its chairman, the Department of Animal Behavior. It was in 1938, during Frank's time at the American Museum, that he was first introduced to Niko Tinbergen by Ernst Mayr."
This book presents the work on aphasia coming out of the Institute for Aphasia and Stroke in Norway during its 10 years of existence. Rather than reviewing previously presented work, it was my desire to give a unified analysis and discussion of our accumulated data. The empirical basis for the analysis is a fairly large group (249 patients) investigated with a standard, comprehensive set of procedures. Tests of language functions must be developed anew for each language, but comparison of my findings with other recent compre hensive studies of aphasia is faciliated by close parallels in test meth ods (Chapter 2). The classification system used is currently the most accepted neurological system, but I have operationalized it for research purposes (Chapter 3). The analyses presented are based on the view that aphasia is an aspect of a multidimensional disturbance of brain function. Find ings of associated disturbances and variations in the aphasic condition over time have been dismissed by some as irrelevant to the study of aphasia as a language deficit. My view is that this rich and complex set of findings gives important clues to the organization of brain functions in humans. I present analyses of the relationship of aphasia to neuropsychological disorders in conceptual organization, memory, visuospatial abilities and apraxia (Chapters 4, 5, and 6), and I study the variations with time of the aphasic condition (Chapter 8)."
How are we to understand the complex forces that shape human be havior? A variety of diverse perspectives, drawing on studies of human behavioral ontogeny, as well as humanity's evolutionary heritage, seem to provide the best likelihood of success. It is in an attempt to synthesize such potentially disparate approaches to human development into an integrated whole that we undertake this series on the genesis of behav ior. In many respects, the incredible burgeoning of research in child development over the last decade or two seems like a thousand lines of inquiry spreading outward in an incoherent starburst of effort. The need exists to provide, on an ongoing basis, an arena of discourse within which the threads of continuity between those diverse lines of research on human development can be woven into a fabric of meaning and understanding. Scientists, scholars, and those who attempt to translate their efforts into the practical realities of the care and guidance of infants and children are the audience that we seek to reach. Each requires the opportunity to see-to the degree that our knowledge in given areas permits-various aspects of development in a coherent, integrated fash ion. It is hoped that this series-which will bring together research on infant biology, developing infant capacities, animal models, the impact of social, cultural, and familial forces on development, and the distorted products of such forces under certain circumstances-will serve these important social and scientific needs."
Psychotherapy research is undoubtedly one of the most puzzling, diverse, com plex, controversial, and multidimensional areas tackled by clinical psycholo gists, psychiatrists, and psychiatric social workers. The numerous theoretical, methodological, and clinical-research issues dealt with by workers in the field have increased exponentially in the past three decades. To do full justice to the area, monographs in each of the specific subareas would be warranted. In this volume, we, as editors, have endeavored to present the student and interested professional and practitioner with an understanding of the most salient issues and trends confronted by the psychotherapy researcher. In order to accomplish this task, we asked our colleagues, who are experts in their respective areas, to share their current thinking with us and with you, the read ers. Thus, many theoretical viewpoints are represented, with none having a monopoly over the others. This is as it should be, given the data collected by clinical researchers at this time. We have also attempted to capture the excite ment that has permeated the field in the past 30 years or so."
The second volume of Behavioral Genetics of the Mouse provides a comprehensive overview of the major genetically modified mouse lines used to model human neurobehavioral disorders; from disorders of perception, of autonomous and motor functions to social and cognitive syndromes, drug abuse and dependence as well as neurodegenerative pathologies. Mouse models obtained with different types of genetic manipulations (i.e. transgenic, knockout/in mice) are described in their pathological phenotypes, with a special emphasis on behavioral abnormalities. The major results obtained with many of the existing models are discussed in depth highlighting their strengths and limitations. A lasting reference, the thorough reviews offer an easy entrance into the extensive literature in this field, and will prove invaluable to students and specialists alike.
Although a number of books have appeared on learning disabili ties, we feel that the present book has two distinct features which are not found in most others. It is multidisciplinary and it com bines theory with practice. A group of researchers from the disciplines of Psychology in cluding medical psychology and information processing, Reading, Special Education and Physical Education interacted with each other before and after their presentations in a conference (November 1980, at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada), and then wrote their chapters for this book. We hope that their chapters were enriched by the discussions and arguments which happened in formal and informal settings during the authors' stay in Edmonton. Dr. Leong could not attend the conference, but was asked to write the introductory chapter for the book. The contributors to this volume have been involved with basic research as well as with clinical and educational research in learning disabilities. Some of them have a theoretical rather than a practical interest. However, a serious interest in a handicapping condition perhaps compels one to consider its amelioration no matter how 'pure' is the researcher. It is because of such a feeling.that those who do basic research have sug gested procedures for applying their findings. The result is a balanced product, entailing theory and practice."
The "septum pellucidum" has been described since antiquity. Even though people such as Vicq d' Azyr (12) and Burdach (3) pictured the septal region in their drawings, the nuclei associa- ted with the pellucidum--the septal nuclei--were not described until Meynert (10). Since Meynert's description, this portion of the limbic system has been troublesome in terms of nomenclature. Scientists about the turn of the twentieth century proposed quite diverse termin- ologies. For example, Elliot Smith first wrote of the precommis- sural area (4) and then later of the paraterminal body (5). These terms, however, were meant to extend beyond the septal nuclei of our understanding. Unger (11) and Herrick (8) proposed the familiar terms--nucleus lateralis septi and nucleus medialis septi; but again they were somewhat broader in definition than is accepted for current usage. These terms, however, were rejected by Johnston (9). In Johnston's great paper, he pointed out that the hippo- campus seems to evolve out of large portions of the septal nuclei. It was appropriate then to borrow a term previously used by Elliot Smith (6), but in another context--primordium hippocampi. Johnston's primordium hippocampi corresponds to the lateral septal nucleus of current usage. He introduced the terms medial and lateral parolfactory area to refer to the remaining portions of the septal nuclei of Herrick (8). Hence, the lateral parol factory area refers to the nucleus accumbens septi of Ariens Kappers (2).
The work synthesizes past and current research on the quality of urban life that has been done internationally. It emphasizes the contributions of the urban environment to the overall well-being of residents living in urban areas ranging in scale from small cities and their hinterlands to metropolitan regions. By urban environment, we mean the socio-physical aspects of urban living ranging from individual dwellings and neighbourhoods to public services (i.e. transportation, rubbish collection, etc.) to neighbours and community organizations. The work emphasizes not only perceptions of and behaviours within urban environments but the actual conditions to which individuals are responding. That is, the research covers both the subjective and behavioural aspects of urban living but also the objective conditions which drive them. The work that has been underway is theoretically driven and will contribute to knowledge in several academic disciplines. At the same time, it is designed to inform public policy and planning in each setting. This book stems from a long period of collaborative research between the editors, research colleagues, and their graduate students. It als draws on collaborative research with international scholars investigating aspects of urban quality of life in their respective settings. Many of these efforts parallel work initiated by the editors in metro Detroirt and in southeast Queensland. It involvesresearch that incorporated theoretical and methodological appraches to the conceptualizing and measuring quality of life. The book will cover research designs that are based on both the analysis and modelling of aggregate secondary data and thecollection, analysis and modelling of primary survey data on subjective urban quality of life. It also covers the interface of survey data with spatial objective data using GIS techniques. The book will comprise chapters which: 1) provide an overview of theoretical perspectives on the study of urban quality of life; 2) present research designs for the collection of data to measure and model QoL domains; 3) provide a series of case studies of urban QoL in a number of around the world."
Emotion pervades human life in general, and human communication in particular, and this sets information technology a challenge. Traditionally, IT has focused on allowing people to accomplish practical tasks efficiently, setting emotion to one side. That was acceptable when technology was a small part of life, but as technology and life become increasingly interwoven we can no longer ask people to suspend their emotional nature and habits when they interact with technology. The European Commission funded a series of related research projects on emotion and computing, culminating in the HUMAINE project which brought together leading academic researchers from the many related disciplines. This book grew out of that project, and its chapters are arranged according to its working areas: theories and models; signals to signs; data and databases; emotion in interaction; emotion in cognition and action; persuasion and communication; usability; and ethics and good practice. The fundamental aim of the book is to offer researchers an overview of the related areas, sufficient for them to do credible work on affective or emotion-oriented computing. The book serves as an academically sound introduction to the range of disciplines involved - technical, empirical and conceptual - and will be of value to researchers in the areas of artificial intelligence, psychology, cognition and user-machine interaction.
This SpringerBrief explores the evacuation characteristics of children and their self-preservation capability during fire situations. An international survey among teachers from day-care centers and experts in child development indicates an age-limit at which pre-school children may be considered capable of evacuating a location without direct intervention by an instructor. The survey examines the ability of children to understand and follow simple instructions, walk on horizontal surfaces without physical support, and walk down stairs. It also studies how fire safety installations and fire drills differ between countries. A literature review and a presentation of the method applied are included. This data can be applied to evacuation procedures, building codes, and fire regulations. Determining Self-Preservation Capability in Pre-School Children is intended for practitioners as a tool for analyzing evacuation safety issues and developing methods removing potential hazards. Researchers working in a related field will also find the book valuable.
It was once taken for granted that peer-assisted groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous had no real value in recovery from addiction. More recently, evidence-based medicine is recognizing a spiritual component in healing especially when it comes to addiction. The newest edition of Recent Developments in Alcoholism reflects this change by focusing on the 12-step model of recovery as well as mindfulness meditation and other spiritually oriented activity. More than thirty contributors bring together historical background, research findings, and clinical wisdom to analyze the compatibility of professional treatment and nonprofessional support, day-to-day concepts of relapse prevention, the value of community building in recovery, and much more. Among the topics covered: (1) How and why 12-step groups work. (2) The impact of the spiritual on mainstream treatment. (3) The impact of AA on other nonprofessional recovery programs. (4) AA outcomes for special populations. (5) Facilitating involvement in 12-step programs. (6) Methods for measuring religiousness and spirituality in alcohol research. Whether one is referring clients to 12-step programs or seeking to better understand the process, this is a unique resource for clinicians and social workers. Developmental psychologists, too, will find Volume 18 Research on Alcoholics Anonymous and Spirituality in Addiction Recovery a worthy successor to the series.
Principles of Learning and Memory focuses on the most topical and central phenomena, which are discussed from an interdisciplinary point of view in five sections: formation, organization, consolidation, control, and adaptive specialization of memories. The editors present state-of-the-art reviews that cover the experimental analysis of behavior, as well as the biological basis of learning and memory, and that overcome traditional borders separating disciplines. The chapters present and evaluate core findings of human learning and memory that are obtained in different fields of research and on different levels of analysis (e.g. cellular, neural network, behavioral level). The volume provides an integrated pattern of results wherever this is possible. The reader acquires a broad and integrated perspective of human learning and memory based on current approaches. This textbook is of interest to researchers and advanced students in biology, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science.
The past decade has brought important advances in our understanding of the brain, particularly its influence on the behavior, emotions, and personality of children and adolescents. In the tradition of its predecessors, the third edition of the Handbook of Clinical Child Neuropsychology enhances this understanding by emphasizing current best practice, up-to-date science, and emerging theoretical trends for a comprehensive review of the field. Along with the Handbook's impressive coverage of normal development, pathology, and professional issues, brand-new chapters highlight critical topics in assessment, diagnostic, and treatment, including, The role and prevalence of brain dysfunction in ADHD, conduct disorder, the autistic spectrum, and other childhood disorders; The neuropsychology of learning disabilities; Assessment of Spanish-speaking children and youth; Using the PASS (planning, attention, simultaneous, successive) theory in neurological assessment; Forensic child neuropsychology; Interventions for pediatric coma. With singular range, timeliness, and clarity, the newly updated Handbook of Clinical Child Neuropsychology reflects and addresses the ongoing concerns of practitioners as diverse as neuropsychologists, neurologists, clinical psychologists, pediatricians, and physical and speech-language therapists. |
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