Fri 13th July - Observing and Measuring Behaviour

Question 1

In today’s lecture

• Describing behaviour – Ethograms.
• Things to know/do before your observations.
• Measures of behaviour.
• Sampling & recording methods.
• Data collection considerations.
• Data analysis – reliability.
• Other considerations.
• Anthropomorphism.

Question 2

What are the two main ways to describe Behaviour?

Answer 2

1. Structural/Topographical

Describing what it looks like:

(Jump, kick, Run, Buck)

Movements, postures, actions

2. Functional

Consequences:

Effects of behaviour on itself, others and environment.

Note:

Topographical talks about the form of the behaviour and what the animal looks like when its doing it while the

Functional one assigning a consequence to it and the effect of the behaviour.

Pros and Cons

Topographical: Descriptive so advantageous for people who know nothing about the animal/recognise behaviours.

Functional: Don’t presume consequences, careful not to make inferences about the animals emotions/internal state which can’t be measured.

Question 3

Describe the Topographical & Functional behaviours a ‘dancing’ Cockatoo and a dear searching for food

Answer 3

Function = Dancing

Topographical = Head bobbing, foot stomping.

Other example

Deer foraging for food

Function = Foraging

Topographical = Foraging through undergrowth, chewing and swallowing vegetation.

Question 4

What is an Ethogram?

Answer 4

A catalogue or table of all the different kinds of behaviour or activity observed in an animal.

Question 5

Ethogram Example

Question 6

Ethogram categories

First collum: Behaviours under Behaviour Sub Categories

• Activity behaviours
• Walking behaviours
• Other nomenclature (names/subcategories)

Question 7

Research Question

Be sure of your question

• Prepare – read beforehand (trail cams)
• E.g., mating behaviour – don’t record all behaviours.
• E.g., time budgets – do record everything.

What do you know about the species that affects your observations?

Preliminary observations inform you of what kind of things?

Answer 7

• Diurnal, nocturnal, crepuscular? – E.g., tuatara.
• Seasonal changes in behaviour? – E.g., pre-hibernation.
• Captive animals’ routines? – E.g., zoo animals and feeding times.

Preliminary observations inform all of these things.

Question 8

Measures of Behaviour

We can collect different measures of behaviour

Answer 8

Duration

Frequency

Latency

Iintensity

Question 9

Measures of Behaviour

What may be deemed as an ‘event’ in one species could be a ‘state’ in another.

Give four examples of a State

Give four examples of an event

Answer 9

State

-Sleeping

-Grooming*

-Nursing*

-Foraging*

Event

-Dog Bark

-Gazelle leap/jump

Question 10

Sampling rules =

Recording rules =

Answer 10

• who is observed and when
• what is written down

Question 11

Sampling Methods

Name four sampling methods

Answer 11

Ad libitum sampling = no specific rules, record ‘as much as you can’.

Focal sampling = focus on one individual/dyad/group.

-Additional information can be useful, e.g., who agonistic behaviour is directed towards.

Scan sampling = group is assessed at regular intervals.

• Used with recording rule ‘instantaneous sampling’.
• Have rules/systems for large groups, e.g., left to right, count to 5, etc.

Put these in place before the formal observations.

Behaviour sampling = concentrate on a behaviour/class of behaviours. • Frequently used with focal, scan sampling.

Question 12

Sampling Methods

There are advantages and disadvantages for each method.

• Depends on your research question!

Example

Answer 12

-Bias towards conspicuous behaviours/individuals

(cute/attention seeking kittens demanding your attention)

Question 13

Recording Methods

Name 3 recording methods

Answer 13

Continuous recording = record exactly what happens, when.

• Start and stop times of every behaviour. – Duration, frequency, latency.

Time sampling, instantaneous sampling = observation period split into regular time intervals, when recordings are taken. • Produces proportions, e.g., centipede locomoting in 86/100 sample points (0.86).

Time sampling, one-zero sampling = at each sample point, note presence/absence of behaviour in preceding period. • Proportions, e.g., occurred in 33/100 sample periods (0.33). – Number of occurrences is not recorded.

Question 14

Recording Methods

Each recording method has their strengths and weaknesses.

Question 15

Sampling & Recording Methods

If scanning a large group, name a simple strategy to help you sample systematically.

Answer 15

• Rules; e.g., left to right, count to 5, then record, move on.

Question 16

Bias can be introduced to data collection in many ways, including influences of the actual observers.

Name four bias factors or things that may influence your results

Answer 16

Observer effects = simple presence can influence animals’ behaviour.

• How can we counter this?
• Some animals will react differently, even within same species.

Experimenter bias = expectations (hopes) about findings.

• Blind/double blind experimentation helps to avoid this. – E.g., Clever Hans!

Observer drift = when definitions change subtly over time.

• Observers gain experience and competence – behavioural definitions may shift.
• This is why preliminary observations and well-defined behaviours at the start of a project are crucial. – Relevant to Lab 1 zoo observations!

Observer fatigue = inaccuracy can creep in

Question 17

Observer behaviour impacts animals behaviour

1. Cat relaxed initially
2. Moves camera and now more attentive in behaviour
   http: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROSPyopBKM0

Question 18

Data Analysis

Consistency of measurements is important.

• Especially if long-term study, or different researchers working on separate animals.

Name two methods of maintaining consistancy through using people.

Answer 18

• Inter-observer reliability: check consistency of same measurements by different people.

• Intra-observer reliability: check consistency of same measurements by same person.

• Often via video analysis.

Question 19

Anthropomorphism

https://www.facebook.com/greenyatra/videos/1086824491367724/

Answer 19

Ducks drink water when they eat bread

-People in the comments are anthropomorphising the situation by attributing human abilities, though processes, emotions etc.. to projecting those things on another animal that may or may not be capable of having/doing those processes.

MORGANS CANNON

Taking a simplistic, straight forward answer here.

Q.What do ducks normally do when Fish are abscent?

A.Drink water when eating bread

(The fish just happen to be there capatalising on duck dipping bread in the water)

Question 20

What’s the problem with Anthropomorphism and conservation

It is easy to do (especially with some animals).

Answer 20

Anthropomorphic language can make people feel more willing to help animals (Butterfield et al., 2012), and promote empathy towards species for conservation (Chan, 2012).

Makes people more will to help animals (cute ones)

The more anthropomorphic the animal can be/have the more likely people are to help them studies suggest (good for conservation)

Help the cute fluffy ones with ‘neoteny’ features

(juvenile features in adult hood, cute eyes)

Avoid the snake! (In western culture)

Question 21

Anthropomorphism

What are the problems when analsying data/behaviours?

Answer 21

Harder to be objective.

We might miss things, or attribute behaviours incorrectly.

Question: what kind of words would you use to describe these species?

Animals’ behaviour is influenced by many things

Beware of viewing them through an anthropocentric lens.

E.g., dogs feeling guilt – leads to compromised welfare.

E.g., animals perceptual abilities differ.

Romanes vs. Morgan’s Canon!