Sampling Techniques Flashcards
What are the methods of assessing animal behaviour?
preference testing
motivation testing
aversion testing
behaviour assessments
ethograms
What is preference testing?
an animal is given a choice
observer records either number of times each choice is visited or time spent at each option
What is motivation testing?
an animal has to perform a task or incur a cost in order to get a reward
What is aversion testing?
an observer monitors the behaviour that an animal shows in order to try an avoid a situation/item
What are the pros of preference testing?
enriching
What are the cons of preference testing?
the animal might make bad choices
might go off their regular food and only want to eat the unhealthy food
What are the pros of motivation testing?
mentally stimulating
example of operant conditioning
What are the cons of motivation testing?
time consuming
overwhelming for the animal
What are the cons of aversion testing?
bad animal welfare
loss of trust from the animal
stressful for the animal
What is something an animal can gain from preference testing, motivation testing and aversion testing.
being in captivity means an animal has little control over their lives
these tests gives them some control over their environment
What is an ethogram?
a list of behaviours with descriptions
used to carry out behaviour observations
What are the pros of ethograms?
studies can be replicated
enables clear recognition of behaviours
a lot of detailed information can be recorded
What are the cons of ethograms?
time consuming
What are the two types of behaviour patterns?
state
event
What is a state behaviour pattern?
a behaviour that has a long duration
