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- Title
Slow explorers take less risk: a problem of sampling bias in ecological studies.
- Authors
Stuber, Erica F.; Araya-Ajoy, Yimen G.; Mathot, Kimberley J.; Mutzel, Ariane; Nicolaus, Marion; Wijmenga, Jan J.; Mueller, Jakob C.; Dingemanse, Niels J.
- Abstract
One main aim in the design of scientific research is to enable us to describe processes in nature as accurately as possible. Using an experimental approach, we demonstrate that some sampling techniques common to biological research may be producing biased results due to consistent individual differences in sensitivity to novel objects. Great tits that are ‘fast’ explorers are more likely to approach and accept novel equipment used to take measurements than their ‘slow’ counterparts.Sampling bias is a key issue to consider when designing studies to address biological questions and its importance has been widely discussed in the literature. However, some forms of bias remain underestimated. We investigated the roosting decisions of free-living great tits utilizing nest-boxes in response to the installation of a novel object (a miniature video camera) inside their nest-boxes. We show that birds that score highly on a widely used exploration test (i.e., fast explorers) are more likely to accept and approach novel objects used in a seemingly unobtrusive sampling technique; thus, the sample collected overrepresents fast explorers. This form of behavior-related bias, sensitivity to novel objects, has largely been overlooked in sampling design. We demonstrate potential pitfalls of neglecting this behavior-related sampling bias in biological studies.
- Subjects
ECOLOGICAL research; INDIVIDUAL differences; STATISTICAL sampling; CURIOSITY; BIOLOGICAL research; ROOSTING
- Publication
Behavioral Ecology, 2013, Vol 24, Issue 5, p1092
- ISSN
1045-2249
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/beheco/art035