Testing the greater male variability phenomenon: male mountain chickadees exhibit larger variation in reversal learning performance compared with females

Branch, Carrie L.; Sonnenberg, Benjamin R.; Pitera, Angela M.; Benedict, Lauren M.; Kozlovsky, Dovid Y.; Bridge, Eli S.; Pravosudov, Vladimir V.

doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.0895

Cited by 18 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 43 publications

(100 reference statements)

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“…Our data supports the interpretation that females exhibit greater response demands (and consequently slower performance) than males in the reversal phase. This adds to a growing literature on sex differences in reversal learning (Aarde et al, 2020;Bissonette et al, 2012;Branch et al, 2020;LaClair & Lacreuse, 2016).…”

Section: Sex Differencesmentioning

confidence: 73%

Unique features of stimulus-based probabilistic reversal learning

Harris

Aguirre

Kolli

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Reversal learning paradigms are widely-used assays of behavioral flexibility with their probabilistic versions being more amenable to studying integration of reward outcomes over time. Prior research suggests differences between initial learning and learning following reversals including higher learning rates, a greater need for inhibitory control, and more perseveration after reversals. However, it is not well-understood what aspects of stimulus-based reversal learning are unique to reversals, and whether and how differences between initial and post-reversal learning depend on reward probability. Here, we used a visual probabilistic discrimination and reversal learning paradigm during which male and female rats selected between a pair of stimuli associated with different reward probabilities. We compared various measures of accuracy, rewards collected, omissions, latencies, win-stay/lose-shift strategies, and indices of perseveration between two different reward probability schedules. We found that discrimination (pre-reversal) and reversal learning are behaviorally more unique than similar: longer choice latencies following incorrect trials, lesser win-stay and lose-shift strategies employed, and more perseveration in early reversal learning. Additionally, fit of choice behavior using reinforcement learning models revealed a lower sensitivity to the difference in subjective reward values (greater exploration) and higher learning rates for the reversal phase. Interestingly, a consistent reward probability group difference emerged with a richer environment associated with longer reward collection latencies than a leaner environment. We also replicated previous reports on sex differences in reversal learning. Future studies should systematically compare the neural correlates of fine-grained behavioral measures to reveal possible dissociations in how the circuitry is recruited in each phase.

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Section: Sex Differencesmentioning

confidence: 73%

Unique features of stimulus-based probabilistic reversal learning

Harris

Aguirre

Kolli

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…Differences in variance thus do not appear to be a mechanical consequence of differences in mean, and instead may reflect a distinct phenomenon known as the greater male variability hypothesis. This hypothesis states that males are more variable than females across a variety of psychological and physical characteristics (Ellis, 1894) and is widely supported by a range of human (e.g., Johnson et al, 2008;Ju et al, 2015;Karwowski et al, 2016;Lehre et al, 2009;Wierenga et al, 2019) and animal (e.g., Branch et al, 2020;DeCasien et al, 2020) studies.…”

Section: Sex Differences In Variancementioning

confidence: 99%

Neuroanatomical Norms in the UK Biobank: The Impact of Allometric Scaling, Sex, and Age.

Williams

Peyre

Toro

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Few neuroimaging studies are sufficiently large to adequately describe population-wide variations. This study's primary aim was to generate neuroanatomical norms and individual markers that consider age, sex, and brain size, from 629 cerebral measures in the UK Biobank (N = 40 028). The secondary aim was to examine the effects and interactions of sex, age, and brain allometry - the non-linear scaling relationship between a region and brain size (e.g., Total Brain Volume) across cerebral measures. Allometry was a common property of brain volumes, thicknesses, and surface areas (83%) and was largely stable across age and sex. Sex differences occurred in 67% of cerebral measures (median |std. beta|= 0.13): 37% of regions were larger in males and 30% in females. Brain measures (49%) generally decreased with age, although aging effects varied across regions and sexes. While models with an allometric or linear covariate adjustment for brain size yielded similar significant effects, omitting brain allometry influenced reported sex differences in variance. This large scale-study advances our understanding of age, sex, and brain allometry's impact on brain structure and provides data for future UK Biobank studies to identify the cerebral regions that covary with specific phenotypes, independently of sex, age, and brain size.

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“…Our findings appeared to be robust to differences in sex and motivation as we found no effects of these factors on performance on the spatial task, movement speed or straightness in our study. Previous research has found distinct sex differences in spatial cognitive ability linked to larger home ranges [ 67 ], more complex habitats [ 68 ] or differential breeding biology [ 69 ] for one particular sex, although see [ 70 ]. Pheasants display pronounced sex differences in movement and space use, exhibiting sexual segregation between November and February [ 35 ] and with females typically dispersing further than males [ 71 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial cognitive ability is associated with transitory movement speed but not straightness during the early stages of exploration

et al. 2021

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Memories about the spatial environment, such as the locations of foraging patches, are expected to affect how individuals move around the landscape. However, individuals differ in the ability to remember spatial locations (spatial cognitive ability) and evidence is growing that these inter-individual differences influence a range of fitness proxies. Yet empirical evaluations directly linking inter-individual variation in spatial cognitive ability and the development and structure of movement paths are lacking. We assessed the performance of young pheasants ( Phasianus colchicus ) on a spatial cognition task before releasing them into a novel, rural landscape and tracking their movements. We quantified changes in the straightness and speed of their transitory paths over one month. Birds with better performances on the task initially made slower transitory paths than poor performers but by the end of the month, there was no difference in speed. In general, birds increased the straightness of their path over time, indicating improved efficiency independent of speed, but this was not related to performance on the cognitive task. We suggest that initial slow movements may facilitate more detailed information gathering by better performers and indicates a potential link between an individual's spatial cognitive ability and their movement behaviour.

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Testing the greater male variability phenomenon: male mountain chickadees exhibit larger variation in reversal learning performance compared with females

Cited by 18 publications

References 43 publications

Unique features of stimulus-based probabilistic reversal learning

Unique features of stimulus-based probabilistic reversal learning

Neuroanatomical Norms in the UK Biobank: The Impact of Allometric Scaling, Sex, and Age.

Spatial cognitive ability is associated with transitory movement speed but not straightness during the early stages of exploration

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