Technical and conceptual considerations for using animated stimuli in studies of animal behavior
Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: Rapid technical advances in the field of computer animation (CA) and virtual reality (VR) have opened new avenues in animal behavior research. Animated stimuli are powerful tools as they offer standardization, repeatability, and complete control over the stimulus presented, thereby "reducing" and "replacing" the animals used, and "refining" the experimental design in line with the 3Rs. However, appropriate use of these technologies raises conceptual and technical questions. In this review, we offer guidelines for common technical and conceptual considerations related to the use of animated stimuli in animal behavior research. Following the steps required to create an animated stimulus, we discuss (I) the creation, (II) the presentation, and (III) the validation of CAs and VRs. Although our review is geared toward computer-graphically designed stimuli, considerations on presentation and validation also apply to video playbacks. CA and VR allow both new behavioral questions to be addressed and existing questions to be addressed in new ways, thus we expect a rich future for these methods in both ultimate and proximate studies of animal behavior.
Source: Current Zoology
DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow104
Institutions: McGill University, University of Siegen, Centro de Investigaciones Cientifícas de las Huastecas 'Aguazarca', Texas A&M University, Florida International University, Empire State University, University of Toronto, Lund University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna Biocenter, University of Bern, University of Michigan–Dearborn
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2533769339