{"title":"Horses can learn to identify joy and sadness against other basic emotions from human facial expressions","authors":"Plotine Jardat , Zoé Menard--Peroy , Céline Parias , Fabrice Reigner , Ludovic Calandreau , Léa Lansade","doi":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105081","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105081","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Recently, horses and other domestic mammals have been shown to perceive and react to human emotional signals, with most studies focusing on joy and anger. In this study, we tested whether horses can learn to identify human joyful and sad expressions against other emotions. We used a touchscreen-based automated device that presented pairs of human portraits and distributed pellets when the horse touched the rewarded face. Six horses were trained to touch the sad face and 5 the joyful face. By the end of training, horses’ performances at the group level were significantly higher than chance level, with higher scores for horses trained with the sad face. At the individual level, evidence of task learning varied among horses, which could be explained by individual variations in horses’ ability to identify different human facial expressions or attention issues during the tests. In a generalization test, we introduced portraits of different humans than those presented during training. Horses trained with the joyful face performed better than chance, demonstrating generalization. Conversely, horses trained with the sad face did not. Horses also showed differences in learning performance according to the non-rewarded emotion, providing insights into horses’ cognitive processing of facial expressions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8746,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Processes","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105081"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376635724000962/pdfft?md5=4869edee356afb15282e228aff4f0f06&pid=1-s2.0-S0376635724000962-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141787190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Timothy A. Shahan , Gabrielle M. Sutton , Matias Avellaneda
{"title":"Resurgence mitigation across extended extinction following four and eight cycles of on/off alternative reinforcement","authors":"Timothy A. Shahan , Gabrielle M. Sutton , Matias Avellaneda","doi":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105082","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105082","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Resurgence is an increase in an extinguished operant response resulting from a worsening of conditions (e.g., extinction) for a more recently reinforced alternative behavior. Previous research has shown that exposure to cycles of alternative reinforcement available versus unavailable (i.e., on/off alternative reinforcement) across sessions can reduce subsequent resurgence. Most previous assessments of the procedure have examined target operant responding during only single-session resurgence tests, and it remains unclear if exposure to relatively few cycles of on/off alternative reinforcement can maintain low rates of target behavior across extended exposure to extinction. This experiment with rats examined the effects of 4 or 8 cycles of on/off alternative reinforcement on subsequent resurgence during a 10-session extinction test. The results show that exposure to 4 cycles of on/off alternative reinforcement is as effective as 8 cycles in producing low rates of target behavior during treatment and across extended extinction. This result is consistent with extant theories of resurgence and suggests that on/off alternative reinforcement could have translational utility following relatively few cycles of exposure.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8746,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Processes","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105082"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141787191","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The role of collective behaviour in fish response to visual cues","authors":"James Miles, Andrew S. Vowles, Paul S. Kemp","doi":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105079","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105079","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigated the influence of group size (individual, groups of five, and 20) on the response of common minnow to visual cues created by vertical black and white stripes over time. The stripes were displayed on a monitor either at one end of an experimental tank, while the other was uniform white, or both ends simultaneously. Reponses were compared with a control (stripes absent). Visual cues were pseudo-randomly presented every 15-minutes over six-hours. Three predictions were made: first, due to more efficient flow of information, larger groups would respond more rapidly (<em>Rate of response</em>) to the visual cues. Second, assuming visual cues provide a proxy for structure and larger groups experience greater benefits of group membership due to reduced predatory risk, there will be stronger association (<em>Strength of association</em> and <em>Final association</em>) with stripes for individuals and smaller groups compared with larger groups. Consequently, the association with visual cues exhibited by larger groups would diminish over time compared to smaller, more risk averse groups. As expected, larger groups exhibited a faster <em>Rate of response</em> to visual cues, and individual fish a greater <em>Strength of association</em> compared with the largest group size. <em>Final association</em>, however, was more common for larger groups compared to both smaller groups and individuals. Contrary to the final prediction, responses to visual cues did not decrease over time for any group size, suggesting innate behaviour or an experimental duration insufficient to observe habituation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8746,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Processes","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105079"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376635724000949/pdfft?md5=e00587c944c5d6103f238ad35ac15bf7&pid=1-s2.0-S0376635724000949-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141722928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julio César González-Gómez , Yuri Simone , Lida Marcela Franco Pérez , Juan Carlos Valenzuela-Rojas , Arie van der Meijden
{"title":"Rapid prey manipulation and bite location preferences in three species of wandering spiders","authors":"Julio César González-Gómez , Yuri Simone , Lida Marcela Franco Pérez , Juan Carlos Valenzuela-Rojas , Arie van der Meijden","doi":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105083","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105083","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Predator-prey interactions are the interspecific relationships of greatest interest in ecology. Spiders are among the most diverse and ubiquitous terrestrial predators on the planet. Their large dietary breadth is often linked with the development of specific predatory behaviors and morphological adaptations. However, studies on the predatory behavior of spiders have mostly focused on specialist species, leaving behind the ethological variability occurring in generalist species that allow them to respond to the different prey types. For three species of generalist wandering spiders, we searched images of predation events on the Internet to determine the most common prey. Subsequently, the focal predator species were then used in behavioral experiments. Using high-speed videos, handling patterns for different prey types (spider and cricket) were analyzed. Our results show a notable difference in handling patterns between prey types. We found that the spider prey was often rotated around the axis allowing the predator to bite in the ventral region of the prey and thus avoid a counterattack. Contrary, crickets were arbitrarily rotated. Our work may be an indication that these three species of generalist spiders have a preference for manipulating prey differently with a preference to rotate spiders, allowing them to exploit prey with various defensive mechanisms.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8746,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Processes","volume":"221 ","pages":"Article 105083"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141878300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Applying an eye tracking technique to gibbons: First study using scanpath measurements for visual stimuli","authors":"Makiko Uchikoshi , Lira Yu , Yuko Hattori","doi":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105080","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105080","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Compared to the abundance of research on cognition in various nonhuman primate species, studies of gibbons -- often called “the small apes” -- remain limited, despite the importance of gibbons for understanding evolutionary processes in humans and other apes. Over the past decade, eye tracking techniques have been established in chimpanzees and other nonhuman primates using the free-participation method, which requires no physical restraint of the subjects. We investigated the feasibility of using the same method to record visual scanpaths in gibbons. We attempted to measure the eye movements of three adult gibbons while they spontaneously viewed images, with no prior fixation training. Calibration was successful in all three individuals, with errors of less than one degree. In total, 24 stimuli were used, with landscape and nonhuman primate face photographs presented on one-quarter of the screen, to test the prediction that gibbons would change their viewing time depending on image category. All three gibbons viewed the images for longer than the background, and primate face images for longer than landscapes. These results are consistent with previous findings in other primate species that faces attract more attention than non-face stimuli, suggesting that this effect is common across primates. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using eye tracking with gibbons. Further studies on gibbon visual exploration and cognition may enhance our understanding of the phylogenetic origins of hominid intelligence as well as the unique evolution of gibbons.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8746,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Processes","volume":"221 ","pages":"Article 105080"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141756859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Distribution of brood of the acorn ant Temnothorax crassispinus in artificial nests after forced migration","authors":"Sławomir Mitrus","doi":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105077","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105077","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Nest sites are important for social insects, as they provide refuge against enemies and ensure optimal conditions for the brood development. In large nests, the different chambers can be used for different reasons; for example, for food storage or as a brood chamber. Acorn ants from the genus <em>Temnothorax</em> dwell in small cavities in acorns and wood; however, even such small chambers can have a high degree of spatial heterogeneity. During this study, the distribution of brood items of the acorn ant <em>Temnothorax crassispinus</em> inside artificial nest cavities composed of three chambers in a linear system was analysed. 29 ant colonies were photographed 13 times during a period of approximately one month: during three consecutive days, and after forced migrations. I found that the distribution of the brood inside the nest cavity was similar during the consecutive days; however, after the forced migration, the distribution typically changed. Almost all the brood items were kept farther from the entrance. Keeping the brood farther from the entrance could be explained as a safer option.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8746,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Processes","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105077"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376635724000925/pdfft?md5=fc44114c5dd58dfb2d42d2e6ae534282&pid=1-s2.0-S0376635724000925-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141578890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jennifer L. Snekser , John K. Leiser , Murray Itzkowitz
{"title":"Patrolling the area, not ousting intruders, relates to reproductive success for territorial male Leon Springs pupfish, Cyprinodon bovinus","authors":"Jennifer L. Snekser , John K. Leiser , Murray Itzkowitz","doi":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105078","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105078","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>We considered the relationship between the benefits and costs of territorial defense in a wild population of the Leon Springs pupfish, <em>Cyprinodon bovinus.</em> We defined benefit as the number of eggs deposited on an artificial substratum placed within the defender’s territory. Costs included two defensive behaviors. First, males frequently “patrolled” their territories, swimming back-and-forth across their area. Second, males chased intruding Pecos gambusia (<em>Gambusia nobilis</em>) as well as small male and female conspecific <em>C. bovinus</em> from their territories. Both of these species prey on the territorial defenders’ eggs; additionally, small male <em>C. bovinus</em> will attempt to “steal” spawns from the territorial defender by spawning with females in the territory. Our analyses revealed that only patrol frequency was related to the reproductive benefit of the territory. Neither chases against gambusia nor conspecifics were predicted by egg numbers on the breeding substrata. We speculate that the frequency of patrolling is an indicator of territorial value and note the qualitative differences in chasing behavior against the different species of intruder.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8746,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Processes","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105078"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141533480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) modify their behavior during mirror exposure","authors":"Trent Robinson","doi":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105076","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105076","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Recently, ghost crabs (Ocypode quadrata) were shown to exhibit behavior consistent with passing the mark test, which implies the capacity for self-recognition. Considering this, it seems reasonable to suggest these animals can also distinguish their mirror image from different social stimuli, such as live conspecifics. In the current research, ghost crabs were placed in an experimental tank bisected by a mirror, clear partition separating a conspecific, and non-reflective partition on separate trials. Aggressive threat displays, time spent near partitions, eye cleaning, and partition contact were recorded during each condition. Results showed more aggression in trials with a conspecific present (i.e. clear partition), though this effect was only marginally significant. In addition, eye cleaning was significantly lower in the clear, compared to mirror and non-reflective treatments. Significantly more contact occurred with non-reflective partitions and time near each barrier was similar. These findings might suggest the capacity to distinguish mirror reflections from conspecifics, and mirror self-recognition could promote such ability. This, and other alternatives, are discussed as potential explanations for the observed effects.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8746,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Processes","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105076"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141533479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparison of sucrose and maltose as reinforcers in an operant choice paradigm","authors":"C.M. Bradshaw","doi":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105075","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105075","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Two experiments compared the reinforcing effects of sucrose and maltose across a range of concentrations. The results were interpreted using the Multiplicative Hyperbolic Model of reinforcer value (MHM). In Experiment 1, rats were exposed to a discrete-trials schedule in which they chose between the test compound (sucrose or maltose) and a standard sucrose solution (0.4 M, delivered after a 4-s delay). Percentage choice of each test compound increased as a function of concentration. The maximum percentage choice of maltose was significantly less than that of sucrose; the concentration corresponding to the half-maximal selection of the test compound was lower for maltose than for sucrose. In Experiment 2 the preference function for sucrose alone was compared with the preference function for a sucrose solution to which a fixed concentration of maltose had been added. The presence of maltose elevated the function and shifted it leftwards (i.e. towards lower concentrations). The results were interpreted in terms of MHM using two alterntive models ‘borrowed’ from classical pharmacological receptor theory. It was concluded that maltose and sucrose are not fully substitutable reinforcers and that the reinforcing effect of maltose may be mediated by an action at more than one species of sweet taste receptor.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8746,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Processes","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105075"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141465885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The nature of training in flavor preference learning determines the underlying associative structure","authors":"Ana González, Jesús Sánchez, Isabel de Brugada","doi":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105074","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105074","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Pairing a palatable flavor (US) with an initially neutral flavor cue (CS) results in an acquired conditioned preference for the latter. Two main associations have been proposed to explain the acquisition of flavor preferences: Flavor-Flavor and Flavor-Nutrient learning. Although the hedonic reaction triggered by US consumption has also been suggested as a possible additional component underlying acquired flavor preference, this issue has received little attention. Here we explored whether the amount of training to the CS-US compound can favor the formation of a Flavor-Hedonic reaction association using rats as subjects and sucrose as the US. We expected that the more exposure to the CS-US compound, the stronger the S-R type association. Since S-R associations are not sensitive to devaluation procedures, we used a Sensory-Specific Satiety procedure to devalue the US after conditioning and then measured preferences for the CS. On Experiment 1 with a short restrictive training (classic procedure), preference for the CS was decreased after devaluation of the US compared to the control condition. On Experiment 2, with short unrestrictive training, preference for the CS was again weakened. Experiment 3 with a long unrestrictive training, rats expressed preference for the CS regardless of the devaluation procedure. These results suggest that, as with an instrumental paradigm, extensive training in flavor preference learning undermines the US devaluation effect.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8746,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Processes","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105074"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376635724000895/pdfft?md5=6b89a0b62bc55bcb9d880516883ab0f6&pid=1-s2.0-S0376635724000895-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141465886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}