Mixed hybrid visual foraging is near optimal.

Abstract

This study investigated patch-leaving strategies in mixed hybrid visual foraging scenarios, focusing on how target specificity and the number of target sets influence overall outcomes. In mixed hybrid foraging, participants collect targets from patches with varying types (specific and categorical) and numbers (three or six) of targets. Despite the complexity introduced by having multiple target types, participants' patch-leaving behavior remained broadly consistent with the predictions of the marginal value theorem (MVT), suggesting that quitting strategies are based on similar rules across different conditions. While overall foraging performance varied with target specificity and the number of sets, patch-leaving decisions consistently adhered to a simple, rule-based approach. This study highlights the robustness of visual foraging strategies and suggests that effective patch-leaving behavior is maintained even in complex visual environments.