John B. Calhoun
| John B. Calhoun | |
|---|---|
John Calhoun in the fall of 1986 at the baby shower of his first grandchild.
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| Born |
May 11, 1917 Elkton, Tennessee |
| Died | September 7, 1995 (aged 78) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Ethologist |
| Known for | Behavioral sink theory |
John B. Calhoun (May 11, 1917 – September 7, 1995) was an American ethologist and behavioral researcher noted for his studies of population density and its effects on behavior. He claimed that the bleak effects of overpopulation on rodents were a grim model for the future of the human race. During his studies, Calhoun coined the term "behavioral sink" to describe aberrant behaviors in overcrowded population density situations and "beautiful ones" to describe passive individuals who withdrew from all social interaction. His work gained world recognition. He spoke at conferences around the world and his opinion was sought by groups as diverse as NASA and the District of Columbia's Panel on overcrowding in local jails. Calhoun's rat studies were used as a basis in the development of Edward T. Hall's 1966 proxemics theories.
John Bumpass Calhoun was born May 11, 1917 in Elkton, Tennessee, the third child of James Calhoun and Fern Madole Calhoun. Their first child died in infancy. Calhoun had three siblings: an older sister, Polly, and two younger brothers, Billy and Dan. His father was a high school principal who rose to a position in administration in the Tennessee Department of Education. His mother was an artist.
His family moved from Elkton to Brownsville, Tennessee, and finally to Nashville, when Calhoun was in junior high school.
At this time, he began attending meetings of the Tennessee Ornithological Society. A Mrs. Laskey, distinguished for her work in bird banding and in the study of the chimney swift, was a pivotal influence on his developing interest in birds and bird habits. Calhoun spent his junior high and high school years banding birds and recording the habits of birds. His first published article was in The Migrant, the journal of the Tennessee Ornithological Society, when he was 15 years old.
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