The method of direct observation plays a curious and unique role in the behavioral sciences. It is at once the necessary link between laboratory research and "real-world" behavior, and the bane of our aspirations for more accurate, more objective information about behavior.
- Jeanne Altmann, 1974
Concerned more with the methodology, she may not have had the problem of attributing intentions to the study animals in mind, but the quote works just as well for our purpose. I guess there is only so much objectivity you can get when collecting behaviour data, because to begin with, the observer has to be able to ‘see’ the act. Knowing, from its expressions, that a dog is curious is very different from say, seeing the colour red. Everyone (apologies to the colour-blind) can see red, but not everyone can interpret a dog’s expressions. And therein comes the subjectivity of a behavioural study; therein lie the specialization and the love of a behavioural ecologist.
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