Using an abstract geometry in virtual reality to explore choice behaviour: visual flicker preferences in honeybees
Van De Poll, Matthew N ; Zajaczkowski, Esmi L ; Taylor, Gavin LU
; Srinivasan, Mandyam V
and van Swinderen, Bruno
(2015)
In Journal of Experimental Biology
218(21).
p.3448-3460
- Abstract
- Closed-loop paradigms provide an effective approach to studying visual choice behaviour and attention in small animals. Different flying and walking paradigms have been developed to investigate behavioural and neuronal responses to competing stimuli in insects such as bees and flies. However, the variety of stimulus choices that can be presented over one experiment is often limited. Current choice paradigms are mostly constrained as single binary choice scenarios that are influenced by the linear structure of classical conditioning paradigms. Here, we present a novel behavioural choice paradigm that allows animals to explore a closed geometry of interconnected binary choices by repeatedly selecting among competing objects, thereby... (More)
- Closed-loop paradigms provide an effective approach to studying visual choice behaviour and attention in small animals. Different flying and walking paradigms have been developed to investigate behavioural and neuronal responses to competing stimuli in insects such as bees and flies. However, the variety of stimulus choices that can be presented over one experiment is often limited. Current choice paradigms are mostly constrained as single binary choice scenarios that are influenced by the linear structure of classical conditioning paradigms. Here, we present a novel behavioural choice paradigm that allows animals to explore a closed geometry of interconnected binary choices by repeatedly selecting among competing objects, thereby revealing stimulus preferences in an historical context. We employed our novel paradigm to investigate visual flicker preferences in honeybees (Apis mellifera), and found significant preferences for 20-25Hz flicker and avoidance of higher (50-100Hz) and lower (2-4Hz) flicker frequencies. Similar results were found when bees were presented with three simultaneous choices instead of two, and when they were given the chance to select previously rejected choices. Our results show that honeybees can discriminate among different flicker frequencies, and that their visual preferences are persistent even under different experimental conditions. Interestingly, avoided stimuli were more attractive if they were novel, suggesting that novelty salience can override innate preferences. Our recursive virtual reality environment provides a new approach to studying visual discrimination and choice behaviour in behaving animals. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/8054666
- author
- Van De Poll, Matthew N
; Zajaczkowski, Esmi L
; Taylor, Gavin
LU
; Srinivasan, Mandyam V
and van Swinderen, Bruno
- organization
- publishing date
- 2015
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Journal of Experimental Biology
- volume
- 218
- issue
- 21
- pages
- 3448 - 3460
- publisher
- The Company of Biologists Ltd
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000364791100023
- scopus:84962792130
- pmid:26347568
- ISSN
- 1477-9145
- DOI
- 10.1242/jeb.125138
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- b0c869fc-fa5d-429e-bf9f-f82f0e8d21d8 (old id 8054666)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 10:25:41
- date last changed
- 2022-04-12 06:11:24
@article{b0c869fc-fa5d-429e-bf9f-f82f0e8d21d8,
abstract = {{Closed-loop paradigms provide an effective approach to studying visual choice behaviour and attention in small animals. Different flying and walking paradigms have been developed to investigate behavioural and neuronal responses to competing stimuli in insects such as bees and flies. However, the variety of stimulus choices that can be presented over one experiment is often limited. Current choice paradigms are mostly constrained as single binary choice scenarios that are influenced by the linear structure of classical conditioning paradigms. Here, we present a novel behavioural choice paradigm that allows animals to explore a closed geometry of interconnected binary choices by repeatedly selecting among competing objects, thereby revealing stimulus preferences in an historical context. We employed our novel paradigm to investigate visual flicker preferences in honeybees (Apis mellifera), and found significant preferences for 20-25Hz flicker and avoidance of higher (50-100Hz) and lower (2-4Hz) flicker frequencies. Similar results were found when bees were presented with three simultaneous choices instead of two, and when they were given the chance to select previously rejected choices. Our results show that honeybees can discriminate among different flicker frequencies, and that their visual preferences are persistent even under different experimental conditions. Interestingly, avoided stimuli were more attractive if they were novel, suggesting that novelty salience can override innate preferences. Our recursive virtual reality environment provides a new approach to studying visual discrimination and choice behaviour in behaving animals.}},
author = {{Van De Poll, Matthew N and Zajaczkowski, Esmi L and Taylor, Gavin and Srinivasan, Mandyam V and van Swinderen, Bruno}},
issn = {{1477-9145}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{21}},
pages = {{3448--3460}},
publisher = {{The Company of Biologists Ltd}},
series = {{Journal of Experimental Biology}},
title = {{Using an abstract geometry in virtual reality to explore choice behaviour: visual flicker preferences in honeybees}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.125138}},
doi = {{10.1242/jeb.125138}},
volume = {{218}},
year = {{2015}},
}