ON THE USE OF SIMULATION STATISTICS IN BEHAVIOURAL RESEARCH

V.C. Almada and R.F. Oliveira

Unidade de Investigacao em Eco-Etologia, Instituto Superior de Psicologica Aplicada, Lisboa, Portugal

We present a simulation technique used as an alternative to conventional goodness-of-fit tests, that allows the identification of the classes whose deviations between observed and expected frequencies are significant. This technique is also useful in cases where expected frequencies are very low and the criteria for using two tests are not fulfilled.

We illustrate the use of this procedure with data from social interactions in captive groups of an African cichlid fish.


Poster presented at Measuring Behavior '96, International Workshop on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research, 16-18 October 1996, Utrecht, The Netherlands