PSYO 2160 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Ad Libitum, Convenience Sampling
3 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Measuring Behaviour
November 25-27, 2015
Quantitative:
• Quantified, and systematic observations: objective (frequency, duration, etc)
• Our focus
Qualitative:
• Qualified and interpretive, very subjective
• Not addressed
Describing Dynamic Processes: Behaviour or Physiology
• Studying the causes or the triggers of specific processes
• Studying the process itself
• Studying the consequences of the process on the organism, environment, another individual, cell,
tissue…etc.
Studying Behaviour Patterns:
• Choose the species
• Choose the individual(s), group(s), etc.
• Choose the behaviours
• Choose the measurement
• Choose the sampling rules
• Choose the recording rules
Measuring…
• Events – instantaneous, moment of onset
• States – appreciable duration
• A behaviour can be considered both an event and state (ex. Sitting)
• How the behaviour is regarded depends on the question trying to be answered
Research Questions:
1. On average do males spend more of the day involved in aggressive behaviours than female ? state
2. Do males initiate aggressive bouts more often? event
3. Are aggressive acts of males more serious or potentially destructive? state
4. Do behavioural acts of males include a higher proportion of aggressive acts than those of females
event
5. Is the response to an aggressive act more likely to be an aggressive act if the recipient is a male?
event
Ethograms:
• Catalog or exhaustive repertoire of the natural behaviours of a species (including humans)
• Categories of behaviours need to be defined
• Ethograms can have a focus
• Ostensive definitions: the behaviours to be observed should be carefully described and an example
should be provided.
Defining the Boundaries:
• The issue: segmentation or clustering of processes
• The concept of bout
• Where/when does it start and where/when does it end? (temporal and spatial boundaries).
• Clusters of behaviours, acts, actions or events -->
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Quantitative: quantified, and systematic observations: objective (frequency, duration, etc, our focus. Qualitative: qualified and interpretive, very subjective, not addressed. Studying the causes or the triggers of specific processes. Studying the consequences of the process on the organism, environment, another individual, cell, tissue etc. Studying behaviour patterns: choose the species, choose the individual(s), group(s), etc, choose the behaviours, choose the measurement, choose the sampling rules, choose the recording rules. Measuring : events instantaneous, moment of onset. States appreciable duration: a behaviour can be considered both an event and state (ex. Sitting: how the behaviour is regarded depends on the question trying to be answered. State: do behavioural acts of males include a higher proportion of aggressive acts than those of females event. Is the response to an aggressive act more likely to be an aggressive act if the recipient is a male? event.
