Personality-dependent differences in problem-solving performance in a social context reflect foraging strategies

Zandberg, Lies; Quinn, John L.; Naguib, Marc; Oers, Kees van

doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2016.09.007

Cited by 19 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…However, neophobia and exploratory behavior only had a significant effect on the ability of birds to habituate to the problem-solving device and problem-solving performance (Table 3). Although these results support the relationship between personality type and cognitive performance (reviewed in Carere and Locurto 2011;Griffin et al 2015), other studies have not found effects of personality on problem-solving ability (Cole et al 2011;Zandberg et al 2017). In direct contrast to our results, Lermite et al (2017) found that low-exploring common mynas (Acridotheres tristis) were actually faster to solve a novel foraging problem.…”

Section: Neophobia and Exploratory Behavior Have Limited Effects On Cognitive Performancecontrasting

confidence: 81%

Cognition, personality, and stress in budgerigars, Melopsittacus undulatus

2017

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To study the fitness effects of individual variation in cognitive traits, it is paramount to understand whether traits such as personality and physiological stress influence cognitive performance. We first tested whether budgerigars showed both consistent personalities and cognitive performance across time and tasks. We tested object and food neophobia, and exploratory behavior. We measured cognitive performance in habituation, ability to solve foraging problems, spatial memory, and seed discrimination tasks. Budgerigars showed consistency in their neophobic tendencies and these tendencies were associated with their exploratory behavior. Birds were also consistent in how they performed in most of the cognitive tasks (temporal consistency), but were not consistent in their performance across tasks (context consistency). Neither corticosterone levels (baseline and stress-induced) showed a significant relationship with either cognitive or personality measures. Neophobic and exploratory tendencies determined the willingness of birds to engage only in the seed discrimination task. Such tendencies also had a significant effect on problem-solving ability. Our results suggest that consistent individual differences in cognitive performance along with consistent differences in personality could determine response to environmental change and therefore have important fitness consequences.

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Section: Neophobia and Exploratory Behavior Have Limited Effects On Cognitive Performancecontrasting

confidence: 81%

Cognition, personality, and stress in budgerigars, Melopsittacus undulatus

2017

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“…An individual is innovative when it solves a novel problem or solves an existing problem with an original solution (Kummer and Goodall 1985). PSP is thought to be linked to foraging strategy and personality in Great Tits (Quinn et al 2016;Zandberg et al 2017), and seems to be largely affected by age and environmental factors, such as habitat quality and population density in the natal environment (Quinn et al 2016). Therefore, it is possible that environmental effects on PSP are mediated via epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation.…”

Section: Cognitive Phenotypic Traits For Study: Innovativenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian ecological epigenetics: pitfalls and promises

et al. 2019

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Epigenetic mechanisms can alter gene expression without a change in the nucleotide sequence and are increasingly recognized as important mechanisms that can generate phenotypic diversity. Most of our current knowledge regarding the origin and role of epigenetic variation comes from research on plants or mammals, often in controlled rearing conditions. Epigenetic research on birds in their natural habitats is still in its infancy, but is needed to answer questions regarding the origin of epigenetic marks and their role in phenotypic variation and evolution. Here we review the potential for studying epigenetic variation in natural bird systems. We aim to provide insights into (1) the origin of epigenetic variation, (2) the relationship between epigenetic variation and trait variation, and (3) the possible role of epigenetic variation in adaptation to changing environments. As there is currently little research on epigenetics in wild birds, we examine how findings on other taxa such as plants and mammals relate to birds. We also examine some of the pros and cons of the most commonly used methods to study patterns of DNA methylation in birds, and suggest some topics we believe need to be addressed to develop the field of wild avian epigenetics further. Zusammenfassung Anwendung von Epigenetik an freilebenden VögelnEpigenetische Mechanismen sind in der Lage die Aktivität eines Gens zu beeinflussen ohne die DNA-Sequenz zu veränderen und werden zunehmend als wichtige Mechanismen erkannt um phänotypische Diversität generieren zu können. Der größte Teil unseres derzeitigen Wissens über den Ursprung und die Rolle epigenetischer Variationen stammt aus der Erforschung von Pflanzen oder Säugetieren, oft unter kontrollierten Aufzuchtbedingungen. Die epigenetische Forschung an Vögeln in ihren natürlichen Lebensräumen steckt noch in den Kinderschuhen, ist jedoch erforderlich, um Fragen zur Herkunft der epigenetischen Merkmale und ihrer Rolle bei der Variation und Evolution des Phänotyps zu beantworten. Hier untersuchen wir das Potenzial zur Untersuchung der epigenetischen Variation in natürlichen Vogelsystemen. Wir möchten Einblicke geben in Communicated by M. Wink.

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“…Also, recent studies suggest that different personality/cognitive styles might have comparable learning rates but use the learned information quite differently (e.g. 36,37 ). Individual differences were also reported in the degree of attention and accuracy devoted to assess a potential threat 38 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual variation in cognitive style reflects foraging and anti-predator strategies in a small mammal

Mazza

Jacob

Dammhahn

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

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Balancing foraging gain and predation risk is a fundamental trade-off in the life of animals. Individual strategies to acquire, process, store and use information to solve cognitive tasks are likely to affect speed and flexibility of learning, and ecologically relevant decisions regarding foraging and predation risk. Theory suggests a functional link between individual variation in cognitive style and behaviour (animal personality) via speed-accuracy and risk-reward trade-offs. We tested whether cognitive style and personality affect risk-reward trade-off decisions posed by foraging and predation risk. We exposed 21 bank voles ( Myodes glareolus ) that were bold, fast learning and inflexible and 18 voles that were shy, slow learning and flexible to outdoor enclosures with different risk levels at two food patches. We quantified individual food patch exploitation, foraging and vigilance behaviour. Although both types responded to risk, fast animals increasingly exploited both food patches, gaining access to more food and spending less time searching and exercising vigilance. Slow animals progressively avoided high-risk areas, concentrating foraging effort in the low-risk one, and devoting >50% of visit to vigilance. These patterns indicate that individual differences in cognitive style/personality are reflected in foraging and anti-predator decisions that underlie the individual risk-reward bias.

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Personality-dependent differences in problem-solving performance in a social context reflect foraging strategies

Cited by 19 publications

References 56 publications

Cognition, personality, and stress in budgerigars, Melopsittacus undulatus

Cognition, personality, and stress in budgerigars, Melopsittacus undulatus

Avian ecological epigenetics: pitfalls and promises

Individual variation in cognitive style reflects foraging and anti-predator strategies in a small mammal

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