Effect of behavioural sampling methods on local and global social network metrics: a case-study of three macaque species

Kaburu, SSK ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7456-3269, Balasubramaniam, KN, Marty, PR, Beisner, B, Fuji, K, Bliss-Moreau, E and McCowan, B, 2023. Effect of behavioural sampling methods on local and global social network metrics: a case-study of three macaque species. Royal Society Open Science, 10 (12): 231001. ISSN 2054-5703

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Abstract

Social network analysis (SNA) is a powerful, quantitative tool to measure animals’ direct and indirect social connectedness in the context of social groups. However, the extent to which behavioural sampling methods influence SNA metrics remains unclear. To fill this gap, here we compare network indices of grooming, huddling, and aggression calculated from data collected from three macaque species through two sampling methods: focal animal sampling (FAS) and all-occurrences behaviour sampling (ABS). We found that measures of direct connectedness (degree centrality, and network density) were correlated between FAS and ABS for all social behaviours. Eigenvector and betweenness centralities were correlated for grooming and aggression networks across all species. In contrast, for huddling, we found a correlation only for betweenness centrality while eigenvector centralities were correlated only for the tolerant bonnet macaques but not so for the despotic rhesus macaque. Grooming and huddling network modularity and centralization were correlated between FAS and ABS for all but three of the eight groups. In contrast, for aggression network, we found a correlation for network centralization but not modularity between the sampling methodologies. We discuss how our findings provide researchers with new guidelines regarding choosing the appropriate sampling method to estimate social network metrics.

Item Type: Journal article
Publication Title: Royal Society Open Science
Creators: Kaburu, S.S.K., Balasubramaniam, K.N., Marty, P.R., Beisner, B., Fuji, K., Bliss-Moreau, E. and McCowan, B.
Publisher: Royal Society, The
Date: December 2023
Volume: 10
Number: 12
ISSN: 2054-5703
Identifiers:
Number
Type
10.1098/rsos.231001
DOI
1835974
Other
Divisions: Schools > School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences
Record created by: Laura Ward
Date Added: 16 Nov 2023 09:11
Last Modified: 15 Dec 2023 09:53
URI: https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/50387

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