Self-control in honeybees.
Self-control means choosing a large delayed reward over a small immediate reward; impulsiveness is its opposite. The metabolic hypothesis states that the amount of self-control across species correlates negatively with metabolic rate (Tobin & Logue, 1994). Foraging honeybees have high metabolic rates; the metabolic hypothesis would predict little self-control in bees. But foraging bees work for the long-term good of their hive, conditions that seem to require self-control. In three experiments, we gave bees the choice between (1) a sweeter delayed reward and a less sweet immediate reward and (2) a large delayed reward and a small immediate reward. Bees showed much self-control, inconsistent with the metabolic hypothesis.
Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia. kcheng@axon.bhs.mq.edu.au
Ken
K
Cheng
Jennifer
J
Peña
Melanie A
MA
Porter
Julia D
JD
Irwin
D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D001516:Bees / Q000502:physiology*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D009042:Motivation; D012919:Social Behavior