Prior experience of captivity affects behavioural responses to 'novel' environments.

ABSTRACT: Information ecology theory predicts that prior experience influences current behaviour, even if the information is acquired under a different context. However, when individuals are tested to quantify personality, cognition, or stress, we usually assume that the novelty of the test is consistent among individuals. Surprisingly, this 'gambit of prior experience' has rarely been explored. Therefore, here we make use of a wild population of great tits (Parus major) to test if prior experience of handling and captivity influences common measures of exploration (open field tests in two novel contexts: room and cage arenas), social response (simulated using a mirror), and behavioural stress (breathing rate). We found that birds with prior experience of captivity (caught previously for unre

SUBMITTER: Kluen E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9438767 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature