Ethological Studies of Child Behaviour

This 1972 volume contains reports by research workers in zoology, psychology and psychiatry applying methods of comparative ethology in studies of human behaviour.

N. Blurton Jones (Edited by)

9780521098557, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 11 July 1974

412 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.7 cm, 0.76 kg

This 1972 volume contains specially written reports by research workers in zoology, psychology and psychiatry applying methods of comparative ethology in studies of human behaviour. It is intended as a contrast to popular researches in animal behaviour. There has been a considerable increase in the number of descriptive/analytical studies of human behaviour concerned principally with the behaviour of children and their mothers, and the methods have become widely used. The present collection of papers assesses the value of the methods and clarifies the particular contributions which they may make to an understanding of human behaviour. The papers cover a range of topics familiar from animal studies: non-verbal communication, mother-infant interaction, play and aggressive behaviour, but also range widely into more usual subjects for developmental psychology: cross-cultural studies, development of skills, class differences in mother-infant interactions. This is essentially a book for research workers, teachers and students of behavioural sciences.

Foreword N. Tinbergen
Acknowledgements
Part I. Introduction: 1. Characteristics of ethological studies of human behaviour N. Blurton Jones
Part II. Child-Child Interactions: 2. Human non-verbal behaviour, a means of communication Christopher R. Brannigan and David A. Humphries
3. Patterns of play and social interaction in pre-school children Peter K. Smith and Kevin Connolly
4. Categories of child-child interaction N. Blurton Jones
5. Aspects of social development in nursery school children, with emphasis on introduction to the group W. C. McGrew
6. Reactions of pre-school children to a strange observer Kevin Connolly and Peter K. Smith
Part III. Mother-Child Interactions: 7. An observational study of mother-infant interaction M. P. M. Richards and Judith F. Bernal
8. Attachment behaviour out of doors J. W. Anderson
Behaviour of children and their mothers at separation and greeting N. Blurton Jones and Gill M. Leach
10. A comparison of the social behaviour of some normal and problem children Gill M. Leach
11. Aspects of the developmental ethology of a foraging people M. J. Konner
12. Comparative aspects of mother-child contact N. Blurton Jones
13. The evolution and ontogeny of hand function Kevin Connolly and John Elliott
Indices.

Subject Areas: Child & developmental psychology [JMC]