Post by Tatianna on Feb 2, 2009 22:50:02 GMT -5
In the field of psychology, an important distinction is made between behaviors and
constructs. In this context, a behavior describes what a bird is doing and is defined as
something that can be observed and measured. We can see and count the number of times
a bird flies off a perch, and we can hear and clock how long a bird screams. Alternatively,
a construct is an idea or theory about the mental processes inside an individual that
explains why or how they behave as they do. As such, a construct cannot be observed or
measured directly. These explanatory theories are “constructed,” that is, inferred from the
outward behaviors we can observe and measure with our senses. You can’t touch or
measure a bird’s dominance, per se, but you can measure how often he bites you when
you try to get him off the top of his cage. Height dominance, cage dominance, food
dominance, and flock dominance are all examples of many commonly discussed
constructs assumed to explain companion parrot behavior.
Admittedly, specialized lingo like “constructs” can be a major turnoff, but sometimes
these concepts are so clarifying that it’s worth the effort to ponder them. The distinction
between behaviors and constructs is part of a larger framework for understanding
behavior that is relevant to those of us living with companion parrots. Of course, our goal
is always the same: To better interpret why our birds behave the way they do and identify
what can be done to decrease the problems they encounter living with us.
constructs. In this context, a behavior describes what a bird is doing and is defined as
something that can be observed and measured. We can see and count the number of times
a bird flies off a perch, and we can hear and clock how long a bird screams. Alternatively,
a construct is an idea or theory about the mental processes inside an individual that
explains why or how they behave as they do. As such, a construct cannot be observed or
measured directly. These explanatory theories are “constructed,” that is, inferred from the
outward behaviors we can observe and measure with our senses. You can’t touch or
measure a bird’s dominance, per se, but you can measure how often he bites you when
you try to get him off the top of his cage. Height dominance, cage dominance, food
dominance, and flock dominance are all examples of many commonly discussed
constructs assumed to explain companion parrot behavior.
Admittedly, specialized lingo like “constructs” can be a major turnoff, but sometimes
these concepts are so clarifying that it’s worth the effort to ponder them. The distinction
between behaviors and constructs is part of a larger framework for understanding
behavior that is relevant to those of us living with companion parrots. Of course, our goal
is always the same: To better interpret why our birds behave the way they do and identify
what can be done to decrease the problems they encounter living with us.
To View the full article please click this link:www.thegabrielfoundation.org/pdffiles/dominance.pdf