Goats favour personal over social information in an experimental foraging task
Animals can use their environments more efficiently by selecting particular sources of information (personal or social), according to specific situations. Group-living animals may benefit from gaining information based on the behaviour of other individuals. Indeed, social information is assumed to b...
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doaj-600caeaf2e1742c781aa286df8e3989b2020-11-25T00:55:11ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592013-09-011e17210.7717/peerj.172172Goats favour personal over social information in an experimental foraging taskLuigi Baciadonna0Alan G. McElligott1Elodie F. Briefer2Queen Mary University of London, Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, London, UKQueen Mary University of London, Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, London, UKQueen Mary University of London, Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, London, UKAnimals can use their environments more efficiently by selecting particular sources of information (personal or social), according to specific situations. Group-living animals may benefit from gaining information based on the behaviour of other individuals. Indeed, social information is assumed to be faster and less costly to use than personal information, thus increasing foraging efficiency. However, when food sources change seasonally or are randomly distributed, individual information may become more reliable than social information. The aim of this study was to test the use of conflicting personal versus social information in goats (Capra hircus), in a foraging task. We found that goats relied more on personal than social information, when both types of information were available and in conflict. No effect of social rank was found on the occasions when goats followed other demonstrator goats. Goats are selective browsers/grazers and therefore relying on personal rather than social information could be the most efficient way to find patchily distributed resources in highly variable environments. Studies testing specific assumptions regarding the use of different sources of information can extend our understanding of decision making, including observed patterns of social learning.https://peerj.com/articles/172.pdfSocial learningPatch assessmentPersonal information Capra hircus Information useDecision making |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Luigi Baciadonna Alan G. McElligott Elodie F. Briefer |
spellingShingle |
Luigi Baciadonna Alan G. McElligott Elodie F. Briefer Goats favour personal over social information in an experimental foraging task PeerJ Social learning Patch assessment Personal information Capra hircus Information use Decision making |
author_facet |
Luigi Baciadonna Alan G. McElligott Elodie F. Briefer |
author_sort |
Luigi Baciadonna |
title |
Goats favour personal over social information in an experimental foraging task |
title_short |
Goats favour personal over social information in an experimental foraging task |
title_full |
Goats favour personal over social information in an experimental foraging task |
title_fullStr |
Goats favour personal over social information in an experimental foraging task |
title_full_unstemmed |
Goats favour personal over social information in an experimental foraging task |
title_sort |
goats favour personal over social information in an experimental foraging task |
publisher |
PeerJ Inc. |
series |
PeerJ |
issn |
2167-8359 |
publishDate |
2013-09-01 |
description |
Animals can use their environments more efficiently by selecting particular sources of information (personal or social), according to specific situations. Group-living animals may benefit from gaining information based on the behaviour of other individuals. Indeed, social information is assumed to be faster and less costly to use than personal information, thus increasing foraging efficiency. However, when food sources change seasonally or are randomly distributed, individual information may become more reliable than social information. The aim of this study was to test the use of conflicting personal versus social information in goats (Capra hircus), in a foraging task. We found that goats relied more on personal than social information, when both types of information were available and in conflict. No effect of social rank was found on the occasions when goats followed other demonstrator goats. Goats are selective browsers/grazers and therefore relying on personal rather than social information could be the most efficient way to find patchily distributed resources in highly variable environments. Studies testing specific assumptions regarding the use of different sources of information can extend our understanding of decision making, including observed patterns of social learning. |
topic |
Social learning Patch assessment Personal information Capra hircus Information use Decision making |
url |
https://peerj.com/articles/172.pdf |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT luigibaciadonna goatsfavourpersonaloversocialinformationinanexperimentalforagingtask AT alangmcelligott goatsfavourpersonaloversocialinformationinanexperimentalforagingtask AT elodiefbriefer goatsfavourpersonaloversocialinformationinanexperimentalforagingtask |
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