Handbook of Ethological Methods

by Philip N. Lehner

Overview

At first glance, studying behavior is easy, but as every budding ethologist quickly realizes, there are a host of complex practical, methodological and analytical problems to solve before designing and conducting the study. How do you choose which species or which behavior to study? What equipment will you need to observe and record behavior successfully? How do you record data in the dark, in the wet, or without missing part of the action? How do you analyze and interpret the data to yield meaningful information? This new expanded edition of the Handbook of Ethological Methods provides a complete step-by-step introduction to ethological methods from topic choice and behavioral description to data collection and statistical analysis. This book is a must for both beginning students and experienced researchers studying animal behavior in the field or laboratory.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521554053
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	09/26/1996
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	694
Product dimensions:	6.26(w) x 9.17(h) x 1.42(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Introduction; Part I. Getting Started: 2. A conceptual model of animal behavior; 3. Choice of subject; 4. Reconnaissance observation; 5. Delineation of research; 6. Design of research; 7. Experimental research; Part II. Collecting the Data: 8. Data collection methods; 9. Data collection equipment; 10. Selected examples of data collection and description; Part III. Analysing the Results: 11. Introduction to statistical methods; 12. Selecting a statistical test; 13. Parametric statistical tests; 14. Nonparametric statistical tests; 15. Rates of behavior and analysis of sequences; 16. Statistical analyses for spatial orientation, time and spatial patterns; 17. Presentation and interpretation of results; Bibliography; Appendices: A. Statistical figures and tables; B. Microcomputers: an overview for ethologists by James Ha; C. Guidelines for the use of animals in research; D. Ethics in animal behavior research; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Until the publication of the first edition of Lehner's book, those who study animal behavior in natural populations had to dig through disparate sources to find advice about methods. Lehner's synthesis was a great service to his colleagues, and he has continued to search in preparing this expanded and updated second edition...The book is very clearly written and easy to read. All of the material is accessible and the bibliography is extensive. I strongly recommend the section that deals with research design." The Quarterly Review of Biology

From the Publisher