Using repeatability of performance within and across contexts to validate measures of behavioral flexibility.

ABSTRACT: Research into animal cognitive abilities is increasing quickly and often uses methods where behavioral performance on a task is assumed to represent variation in the underlying cognitive trait. However, because these methods rely on behavioral responses as a proxy for cognitive ability, it is important to validate that the task structure does, in fact, target the cognitive trait of interest rather than non-target cognitive, personality, or motivational traits (construct validity). Although it can be difficult, or impossible, to definitively assign performance to one cognitive trait, one way to validate that task structure is more likely to elicit performance based on the target cognitive trait is to assess the temporal and contextual repeatability of performance. In other words, individual

SUBMITTER: McCune K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10440059 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature