The Conversation: Animal Behavior Research Is Getting Better at Keeping Observer Bias from Sneaking In – but There’s Still Room to Improve

Animal behavior research relies on careful observation of animals. Researchers might spend months in a jungle habitat watching tropical birds mate and raise their young. They might track the rates of physical contact in cattle herds of different densities. Or they could record the sounds whales make as they migrate through the ocean.

One of the challenges of this kind of science is making sure our own assumptions don't influence what we think we see in animal subjects. The scientific process corrects for such mistakes over time, but scientists have quicker methods at their disposal to minimize potential observer bias. Animal behavior scientists haven't always used these methods - but that's changing.

Professor and Associate Head of Psychology Todd Freeberg studies animal behavior and shares his research on best practices to minimize potential biases in research. Read more at The Conversation.

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