Synopses & Reviews
EMPHASIZES CONCEPTS. Focusing on big-picture concepts and the nature of scientific inquiry, Animal Behavior: Concepts, Methods, and Applications gives students the tools that they need in order to understand and evaluate research examples and develop higher-order critical-thinking skills. Shawn E. Nordell and Thomas J. Valone build each chapter around broad organizing concepts, offering students a clear learning progression and a solid framework for scaffolding their knowledge.
FOCUSES ON METHODOLOGY AND THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE.
Each concept is illustrated using research from the primary literature with an emphasis on the methods of the featured studies. The authors clearly identify the research question, hypothesis, and prediction for each featured study and then demonstrate how the methods allow the prediction to be tested. Many of the data figures throughout the text present means with standard errors, as they would typically appear in the primary literature.
HIGHLIGHTS REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS.
To help students understand the significance of what they are studying, each chapter contains examples of how various people and groups are applying the concepts in animal behavior research to societal problems and issues.
PRESENTS RICH PEDAGOGY.
In addition to bolded key terms, a running glossary, chapter summaries, and thought-provoking discussion questions, Animal Behavior includes:
- "Featured Research" narratives that illustrate and support key concepts in depth
- "Scientific Process" boxes that summarize each step of the research process for selected studies
- "Toolboxes" that explain essential skills or complex terms in the science of animal behavior
- "Applying the Concepts" boxes that show how animal behavior research is being applied to solve real-world problems
- Diverse research examples that represent all major taxa and highlight both classic and contemporary research
INCLUDES BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOS.
Simple, clear figures and vivid photographs help students visualize complex processes and connect directly with the natural world.
OFFERS A COMPLETE SUPPORT PACKAGE.
The following resources are available to adopters on the Instructor's Resource CD and the Companion Website (www.oup.com/us/nordell):
- A video library and guide with links to videos directly related to the concepts in each chapter
- A digital image library containing every illustration, photo, figure caption, graph, and table from the text, as well as 300 additional annotated photos supplied by researchers
- PowerPoint-based lecture notes with key concepts and featured research studies
- A test bank* of 250+ multiple-choice questions (*available only on the Instructor's Resource CD)
- Suggested further readings
Review
"This volume has many positive attributes. ... The combination of good writing, excellent artwork, and the use of tables and figures is welcomed and useful for instruction in an area where the importance of probability, statistics, and outcomes of analysis are critical." --Quarterly Review of Biology
Synopsis
Animal Behavior: Concepts, Methods, and Applications uses a conceptual approach that puts the process of science and applications front and center. The text guides students through featured research examples that strongly emphasize the process of scientific inquiry. The approach is based on the growing mandate to shift science education from rote memorization to a conceptual approach that emphasizes the nature of inquiry in science.
The major concepts in each chapter are accompanied by empirical examples from diverse taxa taken directly from the primary literature. This approach immerses students in the process of animal behavior research and helps them understand how we know what we know. In addition, the text highlights real-world applications and helps students see how the science of animal behavior connects to their everyday lives.
Table of Contents
Brief Contents
Preface
Chapter 1 THE SCIENCE OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
Chapter 2 EVOLUTION AND THE STUDY OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
Chapter 3 METHODS FOR STUDYING ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
Chapter 4 BEHAVIORAL GENETICS
Chapter 5 LEARNING AND COGNITION
Chapter 6 COMMUNICATION
Chapter 7 FORAGING BEHAVIOR
Chapter 8 ANTIPREDATOR BEHAVIOR
Chapter 9 DISPERSAL AND MIGRATION
Chapter 10 HABITAT SELECTION, TERRITORIALITY, AND AGGRESSION
Chapter 11 MATING BEHAVIOR
Chapter 12 MATING SYSTEMS
Chapter 13 PARENTAL CARE
Chapter 14 SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
Appendixes
Appendix 1-Scientific literature
Appendix 2-Writing a scientific paper
Appendix 3-Animal care information
Glossary
Bibliography
Answers to Chapter Questions
Credits
Index