BIOL 59200 Lecture 4: Measuring Behavior
13 Feb 2019
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There are many levels at which behavior can be measured (species, family, individual, muscles, neurons, etc. ) Partitioning behavior makes easier to digest what"s occurring. Pay no attention to anything else around you, except for the animal. Spend a few minutes observing the animal to get a feel for its general behavioral patterns. At some point, freeze a mental image of the animal and close your eyes. Freeze the animal in time and space, but keep your eyes open. Repeat this process to identify behavioral patterns (or units) that are repetitive. List the behavioral patterns (or units) you have identified. Write an objective description (no feelings attached) of each behavioral pattern (unit) identified. Types of behavioral descriptions: empirical: description of the behavior in terms of body parts, movements and postures (e. g. , exposing teeth, functional: incorporation of reference to the behavior function (e. g. , exposed-teeth threat)
