Discusses the important role that language has in our society and compares human communication to animal group communication. Gives specific examples of corruption in the Spanish language today. (NCR)

If animals receive inescapable electric shocks, their subsequent avoidance-escape learning is poor. This phenomenon, which can be called "the interference effect", was studied in four experiments. (Editor)

Investigates how the inhibition and latency-reduction effects interact with each other and how they change with changes in the intensity of the startle-eliciting stimulus. (Author/RK)

Comments on Maier and Seligman's research (EJ 138 911) on learned helplessness, specifically on their analysis of alternatives to the learned helplessness hypothesis. (Author/RK)

Discusses how animals can often succeed in reaching troubled children and youth where adults have failed. Identifies two major categories of animal interaction which are used in educational and therapeutic interventions, describes why they are successful, and provides basic do's and don'ts for establishing a therapeutic animal program. (RJM)

Discusses how animals learn from companions, especially among Norway rats. Rats begin early eating foods that other rats eat. Adults also choose to eat a food largely because companions are eating it even if they had learned to avoid the food at an earlier time. Other animals also learn from watching companions' eating techniques, reactions to…

Presents a lesson that uses the learning cycle to introduce the concept of classification and the use of dichotomous keys to identify plants and animals. Encourages students to become better observers and helps them gain confidence and experience in using simple classification keys. (JRH)

Discusses "The Big Empty" or, the Great Basin. Suggests that it is not empty but rather a great ecosystem rich in plants, animals, and minerals. Presents information and activities to guide students in exploring the Great Basin in order to understand the ways in which such an arid and seemingly harsh environment can support so many…

Describes a sophisticated version of the fruit fly experiment for teaching concepts about genetics to biology students. Provides students with the opportunity to work with live animals over an extended period. (JRH)

Describes four techniques for investigating animal behavior in situations where it is relatively easy to obtain meaningful data. Presents investigations for attention responses and habituation of domestic animals to sound stimuli, interaction of lambs and ewes, behavior of lambs in a simple T-maze, and vigilance in birds at a feeder. (JRH)

Presents a unit of hands-on activities that contains clues in a mystery that lead students to discover the mystery guest. Enables primary students to study an animal. (JRH)

Presents a hands-on, investigative lab activity for use in an introductory zoology course. Tests the behavioral hypothesis that substrate texture affects earthworm locomotor ability. Provides background information on earthworm locomotion followed by details of the lab exercise. (NB)

Presents activities on tracking and stalking wildlife that can be incorporated into the elementary secondary education curriculum. Includes activities such as Tracking and Questioning, Trail Detectives, Magic Tracking Stick, Trailing, Cast Collecting, Animal Forms Relay, Firekeeper, Bat and Moth, Grazing Deer, and Sneaking. (YDS)

The European Patent Convention has informed Harvard University that its application for a patent on a genetically engineered mouse may be refused. The application was the first to obtain patent protection across most of Europe for a transgenic animal, one which has been implanted with genes from another animal. (MSE)

The review examines the literature on the behaviorally teratogenic aspects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, including: (1) prevalence of alcohol abuse among women, (2) acute and chronic effects of alcohol on the fetus, (3) genetic susceptibility, (4) neuropathology, (5) correlative conditions, and (6) animal studies. (Author/DB)