Social demonstration of colour preference improves the learning of associated demonstrated actions.

ABSTRACT: We studied how different types of social demonstration improve house sparrows' (Passer domesticus) success in solving a foraging task that requires both operant learning (opening covers) and discrimination learning (preferring covers of the rewarding colour). We provided learners with either paired demonstration (of both cover opening and colour preference), action-only demonstration (of opening white covers only), or no demonstration (a companion bird eating without covers). We found that sparrows failed to learn the two tasks with no demonstration, and learned them best with a paired demonstration. Interestingly, the action of cover opening was learned faster with paired rather than action-only demonstration despite being equally demonstrated in both. We also found that only with paired

SUBMITTER: Zurek N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11004050 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature