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Abstract
Previous research has suggested that videos can be used to experimentally manipulate social stimuli. In the present study, we used the California scrub-jays’ cache protection strategies to assess whether video playback can be used to simulate conspecifics in a social context. In both the lab and the field, scrub-jays are known to exhibit a range of behaviours to protect their caches from potential pilferage by a conspecific, for example by hiding food in locations out of the observer’s view or by re-caching previously made caches once the observer has left. Here, we presented scrub-jays with videos of a conspecific observer as well as two non-social conditions during a caching period and assessed whether they would cache out of the observer’s “view” (Experiment 1) or would re-cache their caches once the observer was no longer present (Experiment 2). In contrast to previous studies using live observers, the scrub-jays’ caching and re-caching behaviour was not influenced by whether the observer was present or absent. These findings suggest that there might be limitations in using video playback of social agents to mimic real-life situations when investigating corvid decision making.
Highlights
The use of video stimuli offers a high degree of flexibility in the presentation of stimuli in animal experiments as it allows for a controlled presentation of inanimate objects as well as conspecifics and social agents in general
To unravel which brain regions were dedicated for social interactions, fMRI scans were made of four macaques watching videos of conspecifics interacting together and contrasted to videos of an individual conspecific acting alone as well as with objects
These findings suggest that the scrub-jays’ caching behaviour was not affected by the presence of the conspecific displayed on the video screen: the birds were not more likely to employ cache protection strategies when presented with a video of a conspecific compared to the non-social controls
Summary
The use of video stimuli offers a high degree of flexibility in the presentation of stimuli in animal experiments as it allows for a controlled presentation of inanimate objects as well as conspecifics and social agents in general. The possibility to alter certain features allows the experimenter to create well-suited control stimuli (D’Eath, 1998; Rieucau & Giraldeau, 2009). This characteristic of video clips can be especially helpful when assessing socio-cognitive processes in animals. It is possible to present the same stimuli repeatedly or to different subjects, whereas presenting live conspecifics (or other social agents) is difficult to control in such situations. To unravel which brain regions were dedicated for social interactions, fMRI scans were made of four macaques watching videos of conspecifics interacting together and contrasted to videos of an individual conspecific acting alone as well as with objects
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