The Honda was full of growls as Pam Leibensperger drove from Green to downtown Akron. Her 2-year-old nephew, Josh Greer, was preparing his vocal cords for his visit to the zoo.

At the African lions exhibit, the majestic beasts were lounging on the rocks. Leibensperger's daughter, Kristen, with curls reminiscent of a lion's mane, joined Josh and her other cousins, Ava and Luke Norfolk, in a chorus of young animal cries and snarls.

''Nice to meet you. I think I would like to eat you,'' whispered preschooler Kristen, as if the lions might overhear.

Standing nearby was Susan Clayton, professor of psychology at the College of Wooster. She grinned when the youngsters pushed and shoved each other to win the best vantage point.

To Clayton, a visit to the zoo isn't just about having fun. In collaboration with her colleagues at the Bronx Zoo in New York and the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago, Clayton and her students have been surveying and observing zoo visitors for the past three years.

People tend to draw parallels between themselves and the animals, sometimes comparing the behavior of nonhumans to friends or relatives. Upon closer observation, perhaps Uncle Walter resembles that gorilla pounding its chest. Or maybe Grandma is represented by the primate caring for its young.

The zoo also gives children permission to talk about things like bodily functions, which might otherwise earn them a scolding for simply mentioning.

People want to interact with the animals, so it's important for some to feel as if the animals are recognizing them. We want to feel a connection, Clayton said.

But why should you care if you are bonding with the Komodo dragon?

''It may make us feel less alienated and detached from nature, as well as encouraging people to feel more concern for the animals and for the protection of the species,'' Clayton said.

She tries to make her observations unobtrusively, to keep visitors from being self-conscious, but will say if asked that she's observing visitor responses to the animals. She and her colleagues hope to eventually publish their findings.

On a recent warm winter's day, Clayton and the others slowly maneuvered through the zoo. The children counted the flamingos, whose color comes from the red and orange pigments in the algae and insects they eat. They spotted a pair of playful Malayan sun bears, and had a chance to interact with some animals that often remain hidden when temperatures are steamy.

The red panda, Nong Ren, arguably one of the most adorable creatures on earth, made an appearance, prancing around its exhibit and stopping briefly to pay tribute to the visitors.

It's good to be noticed.