Measuring Behaviour: An Introductory Guide

If you don’t know how to conduct behaviour observations you will with this book, it has helped me complete many of my assignments as well as giving me knowledge for the future. Brought a used copy which was in great condition

Very useful for learning about observation and data collection. Nicely written, easy to read and understandable. Finishing off my master's project at the moment and I'm fairly confident about my methods, thanks to this book among others. Doesn't really go into statistics much but that's stated by the authors as not being their focus so it's fine by me.

A must have for anyone who is studying behaviour; especially if you are planning on doing data collection and behavioural studies. Covers everything you need to know, where to start and offers solutions to problems you may occur. This has been highly recommended to be by my lectures and I am very happy I have bought it for my dissertation behaviour studies at zoological parks

CONTENTSOverview of the behaviour sciencesPre-study decisionsSampling and recording methods (e.g. ad libitum, one-zero, etc.)Testing measure reliability and validityAssessing research designStatistical analysisSpecific aspects (e.g. bout length, sequences, dyadic exchanges, etc.)Interpreting and presenting findingsREVIEWA must-have if you are contemplating a scientific career on dog behaviour. Otherwise, leave it well alone: the target audience is firmly academic.If you're studying ethology, it's likely a compulsory read for your college. And rightly so! What the book lacks in depth (it's just 170 pages), it makes up in breadth: taking you through a wide sweep at all essential topics for measuring behaviour.Unless you're a first year Psych/Ethology student, you'll be familiar with most of the concepts, but it serves as a wonderful, concise, refresher of the fundamentals. A couple of paragraphs gave me the clearest explanations I'd ever read: e.g. four questions of ethology, sampling vs. recording methods, the interrelated behaviour sciences, etc. The list of annotated references also offers a great tool if you wanted to dig deeper.I do have an ax to grind though: every topic in the statistics section was soooo superficial. It barely covered some topics at conceptual level. I also found the chapter on findings presentation so superficial as to make the inclusion/exclusion of particular points look haphazard. I would have done away with that chapter altogether, as it doesn't gel tightly with the book's core objective anyway.So, verdict time: I love that it is succinct, I hate that it is succinct... A classic all the same.

This book follows the syllabus for my university class, is a good and interesting read. Information was broken down to aid learning

Has helped me understand how to document animal behaviour in different ways

Great book! So helpful for my exam

Highly recommend to anybody studying behaviour. It's quite small and lightweight so it's perfect to carry around with you all the time.