When categorizing animal behavior to make an ethogram, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, if a behavior happens only once or for a short duration of time it would be classified as an event. For example, if I were to do a single push up or throw a ball one time, these would be called events. However, if a behavior were to happen multiple times it would be known as a state. Let’s say I were to do 10 pushup or throw a ball five times, these would be sates since they are prolonged, repeated behaviors. The next important concept is that groups of behaviors can be brought together and called bouts. A bout is a series of movements or behaviors that ultimately reach the same goal. For example, a lion would stalk its prey, chase it down, attack it and eat it. All these behaviors are distinct and separate events, but when looking at the broad spectrum, they are all joined together to reach the goal of feeding and can therefore be classified as a bout. Lastly, it is empirical to make accurate observations and record the data thoroughly so that you can have as accurate an ethogram as possible. Programs like JWatcher allow you to enter behaviors as key codes so that the data collection process is fast and accurate.
Recent comments