Psychology Facts

▼ Animals ▼

》Comparative psychology is the field of psychology focused on studying animal behavior. Its origins trace back to the pioneering work of Charles Darwin and Georges Romanes, and it has since evolved into a multidisciplinary discipline.

》Similar to humans, cows form strong social bonds with specific individuals, often referred to as their "best friends." When separated from their closest companions, cows can experience distress or anxiety.

》Dolphins have distinct identities—they can't speak in the way humans do, but they communicate with each other using unique signature whistles assigned to individual dolphins.

》When dogs gaze into the eyes of their human companions, it could be a sign of affection and attachment rather than just seeking food or attention.

》Play requires energy expenditure, yet evolution has made it enjoyable enough that mammals dedicate between 1 and 10 percent of their time engaging in playful activities.

》Animals and pets can alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation by offering companionship to individuals of all ages, thereby uplifting our mood.

》When human standards of intelligence are applied to other species,
dolphins rank second only to Homo sapiens in brainpower.

》Goldfish not only listen to music but can also distinguish between different composers.

》Honeybees demonstrate remarkable cognitive abilities, including counting, categorizing similar objects like dogs or human faces, understanding concepts of "same" and "different," and distinguishing between symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes.

》Crows have exceptional facial recognition abilities and remember every face they encounter. If they have a negative experience with someone, they may hold a grudge against that person and remember their face. Remarkably, this grudge can be passed on to the next generation of crows.

》Horses have excellent memories and can learn and memorize human words. They also have a keen ability to hear the human voice, surpassing even dogs in their range of hearing.

》Chimpanzees, our closest relatives, have exhibited behaviors that resemble what could be considered "quasi-religious." When encountering phenomena like fires, waterfalls, or storms, chimpanzees have been observed reacting with rituals, including performing what appears to be a "rain dance." These behaviors could hint at early forms of worship, similar to the origins of religions in human societies. It's intriguing to speculate that perhaps chimpanzees attribute natural occurrences like rain to some higher power, akin to a "big chimp in the sky."

》In a study, pigs were trained to play computer games to earn treats. They were capable of playing basic games like Pong and Breakout, although more complex games like "Call of Duty" were beyond their abilities. Additionally, there's a game called "Pig Chase" where humans can interact with pigs using an iPad, which technically counts as pigs using an iPhone and the internet.

》Parrots have been observed displaying altruistic behavior by voluntarily assisting each other in obtaining food rewards. A 2020 study published in Current Biology revealed that these colorful birds engage in selfless acts, demonstrating their capacity for cooperation and social bonding.

》There are instances where animals, such as elephants, may engage in behaviors that lead to their own death, (suicide) like stepping on their own trunk under extreme stress. While this suggests a level of awareness of their situation,

》During play fights, male wolf pups often allow female pups to "win." This behavior suggests that male pups are capable of understanding how losing may affect the female pups, indicating a level of empathy among the pack members.

》Animals can experience mental health disorders.
Former military dogs are documented to develop PTSD, dogs can exhibit symptoms similar to autism, birds may experience anxiety and depression, housecats display behaviors indicative of OCD, and orangutans have been observed forming addictive behaviors.