Abstract
The transmission of information from an experienced demonstrator to a naïve observer often depends on characteristics of the demonstrator, such as familiarity, success or dominance status. Whether or not the demonstrator pays attention to and/or interacts with the observer may also affect social information acquisition or use by the observer. Here we used a video-demonstrator paradigm first to test whether video demonstrators have the same effect as using live demonstrators in zebra finches, and second, to test the importance of visual and vocal interactions between the demonstrator and observer on social information use by the observer. We found that female zebra finches copied novel food choices of male demonstrators they saw via live-streaming video while they did not consistently copy from the demonstrators when they were seen in playbacks of the same videos. Although naive observers copied in the absence of vocalizations by the demonstrator, as they copied from playback of videos with the sound off, females did not copy where there was a mis-match between the visual information provided by the video and vocal information from a live male that was out of sight. Taken together these results suggest that video demonstration is a useful methodology for testing social information transfer, at least in a foraging context, but more importantly, that social information use varies according to the vocal interactions, or lack thereof, between the observer and the demonstrator.
Highlights
Observations of, other individuals occurs across a large range of animals and behaviours, including foraging, mate-choice, tool manufacture and use, nestsite location, and nest-material selection
Many of these studies are conducted in the laboratory using a live observer–demonstrator paradigm, which allows control of who provides information to the observer
In other tests of social learning of matechoice in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) and tool manufacture and use in chimpanzees sound was not necessary for social learning to occur (Ophir and Galef, 2003; Price et al, 2009). Taken together these results suggests that social learning across species and/or context may require different types/quality of social information/interaction between the observer and the demonstrator
Summary
Observations of, other individuals occurs across a large range of animals and behaviours, including foraging, mate-choice, tool manufacture and use, nestsite location, and nest-material selection (i.e. social learning, e.g., Heyes, 1994, 2012; Auersperg et al, 2014; Guillette et al, 2016; Kendal et al, 2015; Loukola et al, 2012; Trompf and Brown, 2014; Vakirtzis, 2011) Many of these studies are conducted in the laboratory using a live observer–demonstrator paradigm, which allows control of who provides information to the observer. The females who saw the non-interactive videos may have increased their courtship displays to elicit a response from the video male
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