Jason Wark

For #WorldHippoDay, check out our publication showing how #hippo space use can be used to infer #zoo #AnimalWelfare with @JasonDWark and @ZooMonSupport @LincolnParkZoo animalbehaviorandcognition.org/article.php?id…

@KatieACronin @UWPsychology @ESRothwellPhD Couldn’t agree more! I can’t thank him enough for having agreed to be an external member on my PhD committee and graciously offer his expert insights on tamarins and marmosets. His generosity towards colleagues and students is one of a kind!

On the last day of #nationalmentoringmonth, I want to acknowledge the mentorship of Prof Chuck Snowdon @UWPsychology. He showed me how to think, plan, speak, be quiet, push, care about the details, and the big picture. Now, I find myself *trying* to #mentor as he did.

@karlavaleriaCN Reliability testing with your continuous data would be a different ball game as you'd have to also add criteria for how delayed the two entries can be and still be considered "reliable". I think the take home is you should also invest heavily in training

(1/6) Observing animal behavior has become more accessible with recent tools like the ZooMonitor app. To ensure multiple observers are consistently identifying animal behaviors, researchers rely on reliability testing as a crucial internal validation process. #AnimBehav2021

@kirstyegraham Thanks for the questions! ZooMonitor is very customizable! You add your ethogram behaviors and specify sampling methods (interval, continuous or all occurrences). Some behaviors were identified more reliably (species dependent), which will help us improve our training.

@KatieACronin Close! ZooMonitor is free for accredited zoos, aquariums, and museums and offers a 30-day free trial for all. Check out our subscription plans here: zoomonitor.org/plans

@JasonDWark Is ZooMonitor free for anyone to use?! Tell me more ;)

@KatieACronin Great question Katie! We did a negative correlation between session performance and the number of behaviors that occurred, suggesting a potential bias in reliability testing. More research needed!

@JasonDWark Thanks for sharing Jason! What about the relationship between behavioral diversity or number of behaviors, and observer reliability performance? Anything there?

(6/6) Ultimately, live reliability tests may not be practical means to evaluate a full ethogram and should not replace comprehensive behavior training. Supplementing live training with videos may provide an efficient means to train the full ethogram. #AnimBehav2021

(5/6) Standard reliability protocols may be sufficient for testing common behaviors, but additional strategies are needed for infrequent behaviors. Requiring test sessions include active, diverse behaviors may help address concerns but require more time investment. #AnimBehav2021