Are the more flexible great-tailed grackles also better at behavioral inhibition?

Abstract

Behavioral flexibility should theoretically be positively related to behavioral inhibition (hereafter referred to as inhibition) because one should need to inhibit a previously learned behavior to change their behavior when the task changes (the flexibility component;). However, several investigations show no or mixed support of this hypothesis, which challenges the assumption that inhibition is involved in making flexible decisions. We aimed to test the hypothesis that behavioral flexibility (measured as reversal learning and solution switching on a multi-access box by Logan et al. 2019) is associated with inhibition by measuring both variables in the same individuals and three inhibition tests (a go/no go task on a touchscreen, a detour task, and a delay of gratification experiment). We set out to measure grackle inhibition to determine whether those individuals that are more flexible are also better at inhibition. Because touchscreen experiments had never been conducted in this species, we additionally validated that a touchscreen setup is functional for wild-caught grackles who learned to use the touchscreen and completed the go/no go inhibition task on it. Results showed that only performance on the go/no go inhibition task correlated with the two flexibility measures: positively with the number of trials to reverse a preference in the reversal learning experiment, and negatively with the average latency to attempt a new option on the multi-access box. That is, individuals who were faster to update their behavior in the reversal experiment were also faster to reach criterion in the go/no go task, but took more time to attempt a new option in the multi-access box experiment. Performance on the detour inhibition task did not correlate with either measure of flexibility, suggesting that detour performance and the flexibility experiments may measure separate traits. We were not able to run the delay of gratification experiment because the grackles never habituated to the apparatuses. Performance on the go/no go and detour inhibition tests did not correlate with each other, indicating that they did not measure the same trait. We conclude that behavioral flexibility is associated with certain types of inhibition, but not others, in great-tailed grackles.

Repeatability of performance within and across contexts measuring behavioral flexibility

“…For example, it is possible that performance on serial reversal learning and solution switching on the MAB tasks is reflective of a trait other than behavioral flexibility, like inhibition (MacLean et al, 2014). Indeed, we previously found that the more flexible grackles on the serial reversal learning task were also better able to inhibit responding to a non-rewarded stimulus in a go/no-go task thought to measure self-control (Logan et al, 2021). Consequently, more research is needed to interpret whether some aspect of performance on the go/no-go task reflects behavioral flexibility or whether performance on the reversal learning task is influenced by inhibition.…”

Using touchscreen equipped operant chambers to study animal cognition. Benefits, limitations, and advice

“…The 12 adult grackles (Fajita, Mole, Tomatillo, Habanero, Chalupa, Tapa, Adobo, Diablo, Burrito, Marisco, Queso, and Yuca) and 2 juvenile grackles (Taco and Chilaquile; see Table 1 ) that underwent touchscreen training were caught in the wild in Tempe, Arizona, USA, from September 2018 through November 2019 and temporarily brought into outdoor aviaries for behavioral testing before being released back to the wild. Each bird was measured, then color-marked with leg bands in unique combinations for identification, and blood samples were drawn prior to being placed in the aviary as part of other research (see [ 22 – 24 ]). Grackles were individually housed in an aviary (each 2.44 m long by 1.22 m wide by 2.13 m tall) at Arizona State University for a maximum of six months.…”

“…Before beginning TOC training to prepare the birds for the TOC experiments (go/no go: see [ 24 ] for details; causal cognition: see [ 22 ]; reversal learning: see [ 23 ] these individuals experienced non-TOC experiments). Non-TOC experiments included a color tube reversal learning experiment and a puzzle box experiment (see [ 23 ] for details), a detour experiment (see [ 24 ]), exploration and boldness assays (see [ 33 ]), and demonstrator training for a social learning experiment ([see 34 ]) and see Table 1 for a complete summary.…”

“…From 2018 to 2020, we conducted an investigation of the behavior of wild-caught grackles [ 22 – 24 ] using a number of different experimental procedures, many of which involved using a TOC. Several unexpected hurdles in training grackles to use the TOC were encountered, which could be due to species differences and/or because they were wild-caught rather than captive-bred.…”

Great-tailed Grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus) as a tolerant host of avian malaria parasites

“…Such data was used to estimate the scaled mass index (SMI), which has become the primary method for quantifying energetic conditions within and among bird populations [43][44][45]. Then, grackles were either immediately released or temporarily brought into aviaries for behavioral testing (as part of other investigations [46][47][48][49]) and then released back to the wild. A second blood sample was collected and processed as described above from those grackles kept in the aviaries to confirm the haemosporidian diagnostic before being released.…”