7. Observational methods 1 - Sampling and Coding Protocols Flashcards
What are three occasions where observational methods might be used?
1. Questionnaires of l____ a____
2. A____ limits g____
3. C____-dependent behaviour where c____ might be difficult to infeasible to r____ in c____ environments
- limited applicability (only humans can talk)
- Apparatus, generalisability
- Context, context, replicate, controlled
Of 256 apparent pointing gestures observed in Leavens et al. (1996), only two were displayed in her absence of a human observer. The finding was interpreted to show that these alleged pointing gestures were not simply f____ attempts to r____ for the f____, but i____ c____ acts.
failed, reach, food, intentionally communicative acts
Choosing measures involves:
1. Define the measures with either:
a) O____ definitions
b) O____ definitions
2. Classify your measures as either:
a) E____
b) S____
a. Operational definitions: specify the physical
requirements for coding a behaviour (e.g., a lever press by a rat, a button press by a pigeon, or code a finger extension whenever one or more of a chimpanzee’s digits breaks the plane of the cage mesh), or
b. Ostensive definitions: provide examples through pictures or diagrams, along with written descriptions of the behaviour of interest (e.g., coordinated play versus solitary play).
a. Events (occurrences, usually, but not necessarily
of short duration—approximated as points in time), or
b. States (relatively long-duration events—such as
sleep or play)
Ethograms:
1. In the past, ethogram was a list of f____ b____ r____ of a species
2. Sometimes the term is used to denote a q____ description of how much t____ an animal spends in each of its t____ a____
3. In recent years, ethogram is used to refer to both c____ b____ r____ and the c____ s____ used in specialised studies of a subset of a species’ or a group’s behaviour
- full behavioural repertoire
- quantitative, time, typical activities
- complete behavioural repertoires, coding schemes
Five examples of types of measures are:
1. L___
2. F___
3. R___
4. D____
5. P____
- Latency
- Frequency
- Rate
- Duration
- Proportion
Scales of measurement:
Non-p____ statistics:
1. N____ (categorical)
2. O____ (ranking)
P____ statistics:
1. I____ (0 is arbitrary)
2. R____-i____ (continuous)
non-parametric
nominal
ordinal
parametric
interval
ratio-interval
Sampling rules specify which individual is samples:
1. A____ l____ - Preferred method for preliminary observations and for rare, but important events
Potential bias - tends to miss rare events of s____ d____ and underestimate the contribution of s____, less c____ subjects
- F____ sampling - A specific individual (or dyad, or family, etc.) is isolated for observation
Potential bias - can be large if focus subject seeking p____ for some kinds of behaviours - S____ sampling - A number of individuals (typically an entire group) is sampled (typically in rapid succession)
Potenial bias - as for ad libitum sampling, rare events of s____ d____ tend to be underestimated, while c____ events are overestimated - B____ sampling (a.k.a. all-occurrences sampling)
Potential bias - overestimation of c____ events
- Ad libitum, short duration, smaller, conspicuous
- Focal, privacy
- Scan, short duration, conspicuous
- Behaviour, conspicuous
Recording rules specify how the behaviour is recorded:
1. T____ sampling (periodically samples behaviour):
a) I____ sampling
b) O____-z____ sampling
Potential bias - can underestimate rare behaviours of s____ d____
2. C____ recording (records absolute frequencies and durations of behaviour). High fidelity records, but usually means f____ c____ of behaviour can be p____ c____.
Potential bias - underestimate l____-d____ behaviours because these are more likely to be t____ by the end of the recording session
- Time
a) Instantaneous
b) One-zero
short duration - Continuous
fewer categories, practically coded
long-duration, truncated
