VMBO Year 3 · Behaviour · Section 8.1

What is behaviour?

What counts as behaviour?

Behaviour includes what a person or animal does. It consists of individual actions, which can combine into larger patterns. A dog approaching its owner, for example, may first stand up and then walk. These separate actions together form an organised sequence.

Behavioural chains and actions

A behavioural chain is a sequence of actions occurring in a characteristic order, with one action leading to the next. Nest-building and feeding can involve such sequences. Behaviour can therefore be studied both as separate actions and as the patterns connecting them.

How do biologists study behaviour?

Biologists carefully watch and record what an animal does. An observation describes what can actually be seen or measured. For example, 'the dog lowered its head and moved away' is more objective than 'the dog felt guilty'.

Objective description and interpretation

An interpretation is an explanation of an observation. Interpretations can be useful in research, but they must be distinguished from the observations supporting them. Clear descriptions allow other observers to recognise and record the same actions.

Ethograms and observation records

An ethogram is a set of clearly defined behavioural categories used in a study. It describes relevant actions objectively, often with short codes. An observation record logs which actions occur, in what order and, where relevant, when or for how long. Using the same definitions makes comparisons more reliable.