Quantitative analysis of risk sensitivity in honeybees (Apis mellifera) with variability in concentration and amount of reward.
Free-flying honeybees (Apis mellifera) were trained in a series of experiments designed to look for evidence of risk sensitivity in foraging for sucrose solution. The suitability of the choice method used was established in 3 preliminary experiments with differences in concentration, amount, and probability of reward. Of 5 subsequent experiments in which 2 alternatives provided the same mean concentration of sucrose solution with different variance, 3 showed risk indifference, and 2 showed risk aversion (preference for consistent reward). Of 2 final experiments in which the alternatives provided the same mean amount of sucrose solution with different variance, both showed risk aversion. Performance could be simulated quantitatively with a simple choice model developed by P. A. Couvillon and M. E. Bitterman (1991) to account for the results of a wide range of previous experiments on discriminative learning in honeybees.
Shapiro
M S
MS
Békésy Laboratory of Neurobiology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96822, USA. shapiro@pbrc.hawaii.edu
D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012201:Reward