Do plants behave? Contributions of behaviour analysis to plant neurobiology

Plants have traditionally been viewed as passive organisms, primarily reacting to environmental stimuli. However, research over the past century has revealed that plants exhibit a range of sophisticated abilities, such as integrating multiple sources of information, anticipating environmental changes, and communicating with other organisms. This has led to the emergence of plant neurobiology, which argues that physiology alone is not enough to fully comprehend the vast capacities of plants. Consequently, terms like ‘behaviour’, ‘intelligence’ and ‘cognition’ are applied to the plant kingdom, prompting ongoing discussions. As these notions pertain to the psychological realm, this paper incorporates the perspective of behaviour analysis to illuminate the current debate. This framework adopts an emergentist view of psychological phenomena, defending their irreducibility to physiological processes alone. Furthermore, behaviour analysis understands both behaviour and the ‘mind’ as psychological concepts that require learning processes for full comprehension, thereby highlighting their irreducible to physiology due to their distinct nature. Therefore, this approach emphasizes the importance of studying learning processes in plant neurobiology and addressing the methodological challenges it entails. In summary, this paper argues for the relevance of behavioural analysis in broadening our understanding of plant capabilities and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration. By integrating insights from behavioural analysis and plant neurobiology we can advance our understanding of plant intelligence and behaviour, challenging traditional views and enriching the scientific discourse on cognition and interaction in the plant kingdom.