Animal behaviour

Question 1

How should you collect animal behaviour research?

Answer 1

Defined list of behaviours that’s unbiased + a true reflection of what the animal might be doing to infer physiological, psychological and well-being behavioural explanations

Question 2

How can animals be studied in a biological way?

Answer 2

Look at the neuroendocrine system + put animals in situations that changes these neuroendocrine responses - measure these changes (behaviour = DV)

Question 3

What is the aim of animal research?

Answer 3

To see what differences occur + why we change things from their baseline e.g., how privacy screens impact animal behaviour

Question 4

What are the 3 types of animal behaviour that can be measured?

Answer 4

States

Events

Bouts

Question 5

What are ‘states’ behaviour

Answer 5

Long duration of observation that gives an indication of what’s happening internally, psychologically and physiologically within an animal to understand its motivation + use of energy

Question 6

What are ‘events’ behaviour?

Answer 6

Short duration - something you can count as events + may be momentary - interested in frequency/rate - can get an idea of what’s driving this activity
Can count the occurrence e.g., how many times an animal yawns indicates tiredness

Question 7

What is ‘bouts’ behaviour?

Answer 7

Grouping of events into a set manner that can be timed/ occur in a sequence (e.g., courtship rituals/reproductive behaviour)

Question 8

How is animal behaviour recorded?

Answer 8

Using ethograms - list of behaviours (define and describe)

However, can’t suggest what the animal was up to - must report if the animal was ‘out of sight’

Question 9

What is the difference between sampling and recording animal behaviour?

Answer 9

Sampling is who you follow and watch but recording is how and when to observe/record information

Question 10

What is a focal individual?

Answer 10

To know the animal you’re following - help see differences within a species population + look at specific behaviour e.g., observe a mouse on a wheel and compare activity patterns with enrichment and controlled conditions

Question 11

What are scan samples?

Answer 11

Individuals in a group that are hard to identify e.g., zebras

Question 12

What must you ensure is completed during animal research?

Answer 12

An ethical review that are then submitted for peer review

Question 13

What are the 3 Rs in an ethical review?

Answer 13

Reduction, refinement and replacement e.g., reduce sample to the most optimal

Question 14

When is instantaneous recording beneficial?

Answer 14

An instant scan sampling of a group that is good for animals where they all look the same

Question 15

When is continuous recording of behaviour optimal?

Answer 15

Used to record the total time spent by an individual on each behaviour - good for animals under controlled conditions

Question 16

What is ab lib sampling? What is a weakness of this type of sampling?

Answer 16

To write down and see what occurs

W - cannot generate numbers and data from this methodology

Question 17

What is one-zero sampling?

Answer 17

Asking questions like ‘have you seen this?’ and then responding with either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ (0 = no, 1 = yes) - can count how many times an animal does something and how frequent behaviours were e.g., for each minute, put a 0 or 1 to measure frequency

Question 18

What is the difference between instantaneous sampling and continuous sampling?

Answer 18

Instantaneous sampling records behaviour at certain dedicated points, with continuous focal sample being an exact record of behaviour which is necessary for true frequencies/duration

Continuous sampling generally used under controlled conditions

Question 19

Give some examples on how you can develop your work on animal behaviour research.

Answer 19

Expand on existing literature

Replicate successful methodologies

Test for the species that best suits rather than choosing your favourite

Must ensure work is ethically valid + animals taken care of