MEERKATS gave students from Salisbury High School a lesson in psychology.

The youngsters went on a field trip to Winchester’s Marwell Zoo to find out more about how psychologists carry out their experiments.

The pupils learnt about the different methods in psychology: experiments, observations and timing, along with forming a class ethnogram and analysing and collating data.

During the visit each group of students were given an observation time with the zoo’s meerkats and the roles of timer, observer and collator were allocated.

Back in the classroom the students will attempt to analyse and explain the behaviour of the animals.