Introduction:
I’ve always been fascinated by polar bears and their habitat in the Antarctic. I’ve also
always been intrigued about migration habits found in natural wildlife. Therefore, I’m
wondering if polar bears have migration habits of their own in the wild. My goal with this
experiment is to observe, study, and record the migratory predispositions of polar bears,
if any. I believe this experiment will allow us to better understand not only polar bears,
but other animals that migrate with the seasons as well.
Research Question/Topic:
Do polar bears migrate annually, and if so is it an instinctual trait or a learned trait?
Hypothesis:
Polar bears do in fact migrate and this is a learned trait as opposed to an instinctual
trait.
Experimental Design:
I am going to start this experiment at the start of summer, when all the polar bears are
at their natural location. First off, I will observe a family of polar bears for a period of
six weeks. Upon the first day of the seventh week, I will wander down to the family of
polar bears while they are sleeping with a bucket of salmon I’ve caught myself. I will
coerce a small, approximately six month old polar bear youth with the salmon, while
artfully dodging his sleeping parents to my lodgings (my tent at the top of the hill), a fair
distance from the polar bear encampment. The subject’s name is Scruffy, for easier
identification purposes. Disregarding the initial trauma of the polar bear family, I will
observe them throughout the next 2 years to witness their migration habits, while also
noting the habits of Scruffy. This will determine if migration is a learned trait (from the
polar bear parents), or an instinctual trait.
Independent Variable(s):
Polar bears, including Scruffy.
Dependent Variable:
Derek Hatfield PSY 111 9/22/2014
The migration habits of the polar bears and Scruffy.
Comments:
25-Sep-2014 04:15:03
- Last edited on
25-Sep-2014 04:17:58
by
Bunny Licks
