Effect of resource-associated signals on producer responses: Insights from golden fish (Carassius auratus) and an agent-based model.

Abstract

In social foraging situations, some group members actively engage in behaviors associated with searching for patch zones (produce), while others join previously discovered patch zones (scrounge). Pavlovian conditioning enables individuals to anticipate a biologically significant event or unconditioned stimulus, such as resource availability, when paired with another event, such as a blue light, also known as a conditioned stimulus (CS). Considering that individuals' prior experiences with habitat features may influence their preference for producer or scrounger responses, this study aims to assess the impact of resource-associated signals on the group produce index. Specifically, the study seeks to (a) outline a setup for goldfish (Carassius auratus) incorporating renewable patch zones, (b) evaluate the CS's effect on the proportion of producers, and (c) develop an agent-based model capturing the CS's effect on the proportion of producers. Eight goldfish were used, with half undergoing a delayed Pavlovian acquisition protocol. Pavlovian-trained and control fish were assessed under signal and nonsignal conditions. The findings reveal that the producer index in the signal condition was higher for the Pavlovian group than the control group. To simulate conditions to those observed in fish, we developed an agent-based model where Pavlovian agents oriented themselves toward the nearest patch zone when the CS was present. The results mirrored those observed in fish, indicating an advantage derived from preexposure to the CS. This study contributes to the investigation of individual disparities and the impact of learning within the framework of the producer-scrounger game. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).