In news– Recently, the STRANGE method has been proposed by researchers to address prejudice in animal behaviour studies.
About the method-
- The acronym STRANGE stands for: Social background; Trappability and self-selection; Rearing history; Acclimation and habituation; Natural changes in responsiveness; Genetic make-up; and Experience.
- STRANGE draws attention to the fact that, in many laboratory and field studies, samples of test subjects may be unwittingly biased with regard to one or several of these seven factors, with implications for the generalisability and reproducibility of findings.
- Roughly a decade ago, the field of human psychology grappled with the recognition that most studies favored Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) populations.
- STRANGE, in combination with other existing frameworks, is now looking to replicate that success in the fields of animal behavior and animal cognition by asking researchers to consider the sources and implications of bias in their studies.
- This new approach could help, by taking into account the habits, tendencies and life experiences of the creatures under scrutiny.
Source: The Hindu
