Stress and Abnormal Behaviour

Aim

The aim is for the students to achieve a broad understanding of the stress system and how chronic stress can lead to abnormal behavior, as well as how abnormal behavior is characterized and defined in different species of animal kept by humans. Having successfully passed the course, the students will be able to:

• Describe the mechanisms and functions of the stress system
• Define the characteristics of abnormal behavior across species
• Explain and exemplify the biological processes underlying abnormal behavior
• Extract and compile information from scientific texts
• Analyze primary data, present results, and draw conclusions
• Compile and communicate scientific findings in a way that is nuanced and links them to diverse stakeholder priorities.

Content

The course covers theoretical and practical perspectives on animal’s stress response systems and how stress leads to abnormal behaviour in animals kept by humans. It addresses how abnormal behaviour can be used to assess chronic stress and how sensitivity to stress and hence the risk of developing abnormal behaviour varies through life and between individuals.

The course covers the following topics:

• Methods for stress measurement and assessment
• Individual differences in stress responses
• Methods for distinguishing abnormal behavior from normal behavior
• Differences in abnormal behavior across and within species.