Measuring Behaviour: An Introductory Guide

Front Cover
Cambridge University Press, Apr 22, 1993 - Psychology - 222 pages
This new edition of Measuring Behaviour is a guide to the principles and methods of quantitative studies of behaviour, with an emphasis on techniques of direct recording and analysis. All sections have been updated, the sections on statistical analysis and research design have been greatly expanded. Those attempting to measure behaviour for the first time are often appalled by the apparent difficulty of the job. Measuring behaviour is a skill, but one which can be mastered given some basic knowledge. The purpose of this book is to provide that basic knowledge in a succinct and easily understood form. Aimed primarily at undergraduate and graduate students in biology and psychology who are about to embark upon behavioural research projects, this book provides a concise review of methodology that will also be of great value to professional scientists of all disciplines in which behaviour is measured. Principles and techniques are explained clearly in simple and concise language. -- from back cover.
 

Selected pages

Contents

Introduction
1
B The scope of this book
3
General issues
6
B The four problems
7
C Choosing the right level of analysis
9
D Choosing the right species
10
E Field studies
11
F Individual differences
13
C Continuous recording
88
D Instantaneous sampling
90
E Onezero sampling
92
F Choosing the sample interval
93
G The advantages and problems of time sampling
95
H Identifying individuals
98
I Further reading
100
The recording medium
101

G The ethics and benefits of animal research
14
H Anthropomorphism
18
I The steps involved in studying behaviour
19
J Further reading
23
Research design
25
controls order effects and interactions
27
D Effects of the observer on the subject
31
E Experimenter bias
32
I Independence of measurements
34
G Studying development
38
H Coping with individual differences
43
I How much information to collect
49
J When to observe
51
K Floor and ceiling effects
52
L Replication
53
M Further reading
54
Preliminaries to measurement
56
B Describing behaviour
57
C Choosing categories
58
D Defining categories
60
E Further reading
61
Measures of behaviour
62
B Events versus states
66
C Measuring bout length
67
D Tests of preference and differential responsiveness
69
E Defining a group
73
F Dominance hierarchies
74
G Indices of association
78
H Maintenance of proximity
79
I Assessing individual distinctiveness
80
J Further reading
83
Recording methods
84
continuous recording versus time sampling
87
B Check sheets
103
C Computer event recorders
106
D Further reading
112
The reliability and validity of measures
114
B Withinobserver versus betweenobserver reliability
116
C Measuring reliability using correlations
118
D Other ways of measuring reliability
120
E Factors affecting reliability
121
F Dealing with unreliable measures
122
G Composite measures
123
H Further reading
124
Analysis and interpretation of data
125
B Exploratory versus confirmatory analysis
126
C Some statistical terms
128
D Effect size versus statistical significance
132
E The procedure used in hypothesistesting
133
F Parametric versus nonparametric statistics
134
G The uses and abuses of correlations
137
H Simple regression
145
I Multivariate statistics
147
J Data transformations
150
K Measurement error versus sampling error
151
L Recording and analysing sequences
152
M Rhythms
154
N Plotting data
157
O Further reading
159
Guidelines for the use of animals in research
161
SI units of measurement
168
Summary of questions commonly asked in statistical analysis
171
A miniature electronic beeper for time sampling
173
Annotated bibliography
175
Index
216
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