Comparative Psychology Is Dead! Long Live Comparative Psychology

The study of behavior of nonhuman organisms is today, as it has been for a century, a vital and active area within psychology. Comparative psychology is, therefore, by definition, alive and well. The recent resurgence in interest in evolutionary and ecological approaches to the study of comparative psychology reflects developments in ethology, sociobiology, and behavioral ecology. The ability of comparative psychologists to incorporate these modern biological approaches to the study of animal behavior into their work, while maintaining traditional focus on the study of developmental and causal problems, is a sign of strength in the field, not a sign of incipient demise. Neither revisionist histories of nor epitaphs for comparative psychology are needed.