BIOLOGICAL AND LEARNING PSYCHOLOGY (BEHL 2012) STUDY DESIGN PROPOSAL: ASSIGNMENT 1 (2016) PROFORMA STUDENT'S NAME: KWOK HO YEUNG JONATHAN MARKER'S NAME: Please type your answers straight into this Word document. 1. TITLE (1 MARK): BIOLOGICAL AND LEARNING PSYCHOLOGY - ENRICHMENT STUDY FOR GIRAFFE 2. BACKGROUND (4 MARKS): (a) Describe enrichment for zoo primates and explain why zoo-housed animals need enrichment (2 marks) Enrichment is defined as the improving something or providing some kind of nourishment in order to develop or upgrade. The main principle of animal husbandry is to provide them adequate facility and nourishment so that they can hold a better and enhanced quality of life with increased environment to live in and sustain (Guilarte, Toscano, McGlothan, & Weaver, 2003). This concept involves both physiological as well as psychological improvement of wellness. Zoo primates need physical, psychological, behavioural and environmental well-being. (b) Details about species (2 marks) In this study, it would like to provide some detailed information about one of the special species, Giraffe. It is the tallest living mammal having terrestrial habitat. It is the largest ruminants and is an African even-toed ungulate mammal's genus. It is also known as Giraffacamelopardalis, one of the family types. The most distinguishing character of a Giraffe is its tall neck and spotted body. It is herbivorous in nature and is assumed to have been evolved from a short neck species who due to lack of food underwent evolution to tall neck so as to reach the leaves of tall plants (Westlund, 2014). They prefer to live in open woodlands and in denser environment. This species holds a social life and mostly found in groups. 3. STATE THE HYPOTHESES (2 MARKS): Behavioural and physiological Enrichment of one of Giraffe species will add to avoid the extinction of the species which is a symbol of evolution 4. METHOD (A) DESCRIBE THE PARTICIPANTS (1 MARK): The main purpose of this study design is to measure the captive quality of Giraffe kept in the Zoo and the ways by which it can be upgraded or developed (Westlund, 2014). The main participant of our study is the Giraffe species. For this around 25 Giraffes are taken into consideration from 5 major Zoo centres aced in different regions(Keen, Nelson, Robbins, Evans, Shepherdson, & Newberry, 2014). This will help in providing diverse data and the scope to compare the environmental and behavioural aspects. 5. METHOD (B) DESCRIBE THE STUDY DESIGN (2 MARKS): A random sampling is planned to be carried out for this study where the scope of error and risk of getting biased will be less. Again the Enrichment study will include various types of Enrichment like sensory, feeding and food, environmental, manipulative (with toys), social and behavioural. Each section will be assessed individually and will be recorded (Hannan, 2014). All of the above mentioned aspects are the major elements of an animal husbandry and the Enrichment process. 6. METHOD (C) DESCRIBE THE MEASURES/MATERIALS NEEDED (5 MARKS): Describe enrichment object or technique (may include drawing or sketch): Enrichment is not an object or a repeated event, it is mostly a process by which the development and sustainability of an animal species is done(Keen, Nelson, Robbins, Evans, Shepherdson, & Newberry, 2014). In this process physical and psychological health of the animal is improved through various kinds so changes in behaviour or environment they live in. Considering the above study, some kind of sensory materials, toys, analysing equipment, etc. will be required in the process(Guilarte, Toscano, McGlothan, & Weaver, 2003). Their food and frightening process are to be analysed along with their behavioural responses to various conditions and situations. Safety issues considered: One of the major safety issues associated in this study is the uncomfortable situation for the animals during the whole program(Hannan, 2014). This could be physical, mental or even psychological where they will be unable to convey it. Care should be taken that they should not be hurt during the continuation of the program. For this highly trained and experienced professionals are taken for this program. Cost and maintenance issues considered: Costing for the survey is arranged form various sources. It is funded nationally and internationally by various organizations (Westlund, 2014). Many non-governmental organizations came up for this program who was concerned about the animal welfare(Keen, Nelson, Robbins, Evans, Shepherdson, & Newberry, 2014). Similar objects or techniques used: Many such programs have already been in place. Those programs are very common in most of the animal welfare programs(Keen, Nelson, Robbins, Evans, Shepherdson, & Newberry, 2014). The techniques used in those cases were also the same as used in this study design. Their enrichment study also included various types of Enrichment like sensory, feeding and food, environmental, manipulative (with toys), social and behavioural (Hannan, 2014). Each section will be assessed individually and will be recorded. References are also taken from those studies. 7. METHOD (D) DESCRIBE THE PROCEDURE (2 MARKS): According to the amendments of the 1985 United States Animal Welfare Act, regulations are made to protect the quality of animal life and to provide them adequate comfort so that they can achieve a healthy ad better health and wellbeing(Guilarte, Toscano, McGlothan, &Weaver, 2003). For each of the types of Enrichment different processes are adopted and technical processes are implemented for the success of the design. 8. BRIEFLY DESCRIBE DATA ANALYSIS (2 MARKS): All the data are recorded and documented so that they could be properly analysed and also preserved for future reference. The data analysis is involved physical analysis as well as data interpretation so as to interpret useful information. This concept involves both physiological as well as psychological improvement of wellness (Keen, Nelson, Robbins, Evans, Shepherdson, & Newberry, 2014). The level of stability in their behaviour and in their approach will provide the level of development they are holding of having. Thus this study will prove to be the best way of gathering information about animal wellbeing and their captive type. References: Guilarte, T. R., Toscano, C. D., McGlothan, J. L., & Weaver, S. A. (2003). Environmental enrichment reverses cognitive and molecular deficits induced by developmental lead exposure. Annals of neurology, 53(1), 50-56. Hannan, A. J. (2014). Review: Environmental enrichment and brain repair: harnessing the therapeutic effects of cognitive stimulation and physical activity to enhance experience‐dependent plasticity. Neuropathology and applied neurobiology, 40(1), 13-25. Keen, H. A., Nelson, O. L., Robbins, C. T., Evans, M., Shepherdson, D. J., & Newberry, R. C. (2014). Validation of a novel cognitive bias task based on difference in quantity of reinforcement for assessing environmental enrichment. Animal cognition, 17(3), 529-541. Westlund, K. (2014). Training is enrichment—and beyond. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 152, 1-6. (NOTE: SPELLING/GRAMMAR - 1 MARK; PARAPHRASING/CITATION & REFERENCING - 1 MARK) Overall Grade and Comments /20