Research initiative
Inside the folder
Researcher
CAJAL Advanced Neuroscience Programme · October - November 2022
Sensory neuroscienceField observationContext effectsBehavior analysis
Description
An observational study asking whether sensory-neuroscience findings from laboratory models generalize to free-ranging rhinoceroses.
Completed field study
The research question
Do sensory responses observed in laboratory models generalize to animals responding to stimuli in a natural environment?
My contribution
- Designed a 24-hour field observation study at Nairobi National Park
- Coded responses to stimuli and social interaction
- Analyzed response frequency and duration and presented findings to CAJAL mentors and fellows
Outcomes & evidence
- Observed heightened vigilance under novel or threatening conditions
- Findings suggested that laboratory models may underestimate context effects
- A research presentation to CAJAL mentors and fellows
Approach & methods
- Designed a 24-hour observational study of free-ranging rhinoceroses at Nairobi National Park.
- Coded responses to external stimuli and social interaction, then analyzed frequency and duration.
- Considered heightened vigilance under novel or threatening conditions as evidence of context-sensitive responses.
Scope & limitations
- The reported work is a short observational field study, not a controlled experiment.
- The context-effect finding is presented as suggestive, not proof of a universal difference between laboratory and natural environments.