Spatial Choice Research Articles

Combining evolutionary game theory and network theory to analyze human cooperation patterns

As natural systems continuously evolve, the human cooperation dilemma represents an increasingly more challenging question. Humans cooperate in natural and social systems, but how it happens and what are the mechanisms which rule the emergence of cooperation, represent an open and fascinating issue. In this work, we investigate the evolution of cooperation through the analysis of the evolutionary dynamics of behaviours within the social network, where nodes can choose to cooperate or defect following the classical social dilemmas represented by Prisoner’s Dilemma and Snowdrift games. To this aim, we introduce a sociological concept and statistical estimator, “Critical Mass”, to detect the minimum initial seed of cooperators able to trigger the diffusion process, and the centrality measure to select within the social network. Selecting different spatial configurations of the Critical Mass nodes, we highlight how the emergence of cooperation can be influenced by this spatial choice of the initial core in the network. Moreover, we target to shed light how the concept of homophily, a social shaping factor for which “birds of a feather flock together”, can affect the evolutionary process. Our findings show that homophily allows speeding up the diffusion process and make quicker the convergence towards human cooperation, while centrality measure and thus the Critical Mass selection, play a key role in the evolution showing how the spatial configurations can create some hidden patterns, partially counterbalancing the impact of homophily.

Population-Scale Foraging Segregation in an Apex Predator of the North Atlantic.

In this work we investigated the between-colony spatial, behavioural and trophic segregation of two sub-populations of the elusive Macaronesian shearwaters Puffinus baroli breeding only ~340 km apart in Cima Islet (Porto Santo Island) and Selvagem Grande Island. Global location sensing (gls) loggers were used in combination with the trophic ecology of tracked individuals, inferred from the isotopic signatures of wing feathers. Results suggest that these two Macaronesian shearwater sub-populations do segregate during the non-breeding period in some ‘sub-population-specific’ regions, by responding to different oceanographic characteristics (habitat modelling). Within these disparate areas, both sub-populations behave differently (at-sea activity) and prey on disparate trophic niches (stable isotope analysis). One hypothesis would be that each sub-population have evolved and adapted to feed on particular and ‘sub-population-specific’ resources, and the segregation observed at the three different levels (spatial, behavioural and trophic) might be in fact a result of such adaptation, from the emergence of ‘cultural foraging patterns’. Finally, when comparing to the results of former studies reporting on the spatial, behavioural and trophic choices of Macaronesian shearwater populations breeding on Azores and Canary Islands, we realized the high ecological plasticity of this species inhabiting and foraging over the North-East Atlantic Ocean.

A Viability Approach for Robustness Measurement, Organizational Autopoiesis, and Cell Turnover in a Multicellular System.

In this article, we use the potential of computational biology to highlight the key role of cell apoptosis for studying some tissue's properties through in silico experiments of morphogenesis. Our morphogenesis model is a new approach focusing on the deterministic program within cells that controls their placement and their differentiation at the beginning of the embryogenesis. Indeed, when the tissue is made by just a few pair of cells, we consider that cellular mechanisms are related neither to the influence of mechanical forces nor to the spread of chemicals. Dynamics are based on spatial and logical choices, the other factors being involved when the tissue contains a large number of cells. We had established a mathematical formulation of such a model and had enlightened the link between phenotype (cell placement and cell differentiation) and genotype (cell program) at the early embryogenesis. Indeed, that work allowed for generating any early tissue and the associated program that designs it. We propose now to study and assess some properties of these tissues for further selection and classification purposes. More precisely, we present in this article novel methods to measure tissue robustness based on the backward morphogenesis of our model. We also show some implementations of their self-maintenance properties, on the one hand to deal with environment disturbances through autopoiesis and on the other hand to achieve a dynamical steady state which ensures tissue renewal.

Validating and measuring public open space is not a walk in the park

ABSTRACTDespite the widespread application of public open space (POS) in urban planning and health research, defining POS and the subsequent measurement remains an issue. Coupled with the issue of definition is the choice of data set, as the data accuracy can influence the research results. The interpretation of an analysis depends on the intended outcome and the data definition and accuracy. This research used GIS and aerial imagery to develop a validated public open space (VPOS) data set for Metropolitan Adelaide and tested this against two publicly available POS data sets, the MapInfo© StreetPro Park data and Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Meshblock. The 4 ha of open space per 1000 population standard was calculated for three administrative spatial units (local government areas, postcodes and suburbs). The number of spatial units that met or did not meet the standard was calculated and the VPOS data were taken as the data standard.For local governments areas most met the standard. For the postcodes and suburbs, the ABS Meshblock under reported and the Parks data over reported. The results varied depending on the spatial unit and choice of data and this demonstrated the importance of the choice of spatial data set and spatial unit.

Reduction of Environmental Stress through Spatial Arrangements and Different Choices of Body Positions in Indoor Environment

The paper is aimed at analyzes of environmental stressors in indoor environment such as incorrect spatial arrangement or improper setting of limits and less control of own territory /personal space and diminished choice of body positions. There is emphasized the topic of body positions/postures in standard office working environment whereas more choices of body position is a instrument for reduction of stress and increasing of well–being and chance to get new perspectives, approaches and outputs from human resources as well . Nowadays there is a strong need to incorporate a non-formal working style which is also related to non-formal spatial design that can be then occupied by different body positions and using of space in more dynamic way which we can call dynamisation of space. There are also analyzed its main strategies In the paper there are shown theoretical assumptions of relation between work efficiency, creativity and body working position.There is analyzed process of setting methodology for measuring environmental stress through physiological parameters. It shows results of first experimental tests of biometric responses by different working postures by simulation of standard non-industrial working environment. There we chosen 5 working locations – standard set, dynamic seat, stand, perching and reclining. The paper presents results of the pilot test and shows further perspectives of this research.

Choice Set Imputation in Atomistic Spatial Choice Models

Constructing the universal choice set in spatial choice models developed at the level of elemental alternatives (atomistic models) is challenging because disaggregate data on the attributes of nonchosen alternatives are often not available. Even when the disaggregate data on nonchosen alternatives are available, matching two data sources will inevitably be error prone given that they might be collected at different times and they might have different coding for categorical variables. An important practical question in the estimation of such atomistic models, therefore, is how to construct the universal choice set in the absence of disaggregate data on the attributes of the nonchosen alternatives. This paper presents a novel approach for spatial imputation of attributes of nonchosen alternatives for estimation and application of atomistic spatial choice models in the absence of disaggregate data. The proposed approach uses the iterative proportional fitting algorithm to impute the attributes of nonchosen alternatives from aggregated data on elemental alternatives. The proposed method is validated with a Monte Carlo experiment and applied to real data in the London residential location choice context.

Linking collaborative R&D strategies with the research and innovation performance of SMEs in peripheral regions: Do spatial and organizational choices make a difference?

We examine the empirical link between collaborative R&D strategies and the research and innovation performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises in peripheral locations. Using a survey of German firms combined with time series information on patent applications obtained from the European Patent Office, we apply a comparison-group approach and estimate different “treatment effect” models to assess the notion of causality underlying this relationship. Besides accounting for observed and unobserved firm-specific heterogeneity, we thereby also control for the likely endogeneity of R&D collaboration as a strategic choice in the course of research and innovation activities. Our results for the period 2001–2007 indicate that engaging in R&D collaboration vis-a-vis a non-collaborative research strategy is related to higher outcome levels for a firm’s key research and innovation indicators such as R&D and patent intensity. We also find that this latter link varies by firm size and the organizational type of cooperating partner, and especially those firms that simultaneously engage in research collaborations with other private businesses and research institutes/universities show above average innovation performance. In contrast, the notion of spatial proximity to research partners is shown to be of less importance. Our results may be of help for the future design of regional policies supporting the research and innovation activity of small firms in peripheral and remote locations outside large metropolitan areas.

A discrete spatial choice model of burglary target selection at the house-level

This article studies how burglars select a house to burglarize. We draw on the rational choice perspective to investigate how burglars select a target by relying on house-related attributes to optimize a combination of perceived rewards, efforts and risk. It extends current applications of the discrete spatial choice framework to burglary target selection by adopting the house as the spatial unit of analysis and studies burglars' target selection process in a larger and more diverse study area than that of earlier studies. Using data on 650 residential burglaries and on approximately 500,000 residential properties in the Belgian province East Flanders, we consider a discrete spatial choice model of burglary target selection to establish which house-related attributes influence burglars' target selection process. Our findings demonstrate that terraced houses, houses without a garage, houses that have not been outfitted with a central heating and/or air-conditioning system and houses nearby burglars' residences are more likely to be selected. Overall, our analysis suggests that burglars rely on effort-related attributes to distinguish between targets while higher perceived rewards actually decrease the odds of a house being burglarized. Risk-related attributes are unimportant for burglars' target choice.

Individuals' social preferences in joint activity location choice: A negotiation model and empirical evidence

Out-of-home leisure activities are often conducted jointly by individuals implying that location and travel choices made for these activities are the result of a group interaction. Current utility-theoretic approaches assume an aggregated group utility function and hence ignore aspects of the group decision making process. In this study, an empirical model of joint-activity choice is developed that, in contrast, assumes a negotiation process. A social utility function describes how individuals deal with preference differences in the group. The model is estimated based on an experimental activity-travel choice task where group settings are mimicked. A sample (N=315) from a national panel of individuals participated in the experiment. Estimation results based on a discrete mixture model show that individuals display a preference for locations in which losses are equally distributed in the group even when this comes at the costs of the total group outcome. Results further show that the social utility function is asymmetric: compromise solutions are favored more strongly when consequences relate to costs (travel costs) than when they concern rewards (attractiveness). Furthermore, there is considerable heterogeneity in how people make social trade-offs. It is concluded that the model offers new insights in location preferences for joint activities that should be taken into account in spatial choice models and accessibility analysis.

Predicting Health Programme Participation: A Gravity-Based, Hierarchical Modelling Approach

SummaryStatistical analyses of health programme participation seek to address a number of objectives that are compatible with the evaluation of demand for current resources. In this spirit, a spatial hierarchical model is developed for disentangling patterns in participation at the small area level, as a function of population-based demand and additional variation. For the former, a constrained gravity model is proposed to quantify factors associated with spatial choice and to account for competition effects, for programmes delivered by multiple clinics. The implications of gravity model misspecification within a mixed effects framework are also explored. The model proposed is applied to participation data from a no-fee mammography programme in Brisbane, Australia. Attention is paid to the interpretation of various model outputs and their relevance for public health policy.

Target Selection Models with Preference Variation Between Offenders

This study explores preference variation in location choice strategies of residential burglars. Applying a model of offender target selection that is grounded in assertions of the routine activity approach, rational choice perspective, crime pattern and social disorganization theories, it seeks to address the as yet untested assumption that crime location choice preferences are the same for all offenders. Analyzing detected residential burglaries from Brisbane, Australia, we apply a random effects variant of the discrete spatial choice model to estimate preference variation between offenders across six location choice characteristics. Furthermore, in attempting to understand the causes of this variation we estimate how offenders’ spatial target preferences might be affected by where they live and by their age. Findings of this analysis demonstrate that while in the aggregate the characteristics of location choice are consistent with the findings from previous studies, considerable preference variation is found between offenders. This research highlights that current understanding of choice outcomes is relatively poor and that existing applications of the discrete spatial choice approach may underestimate preference variation between offenders.

An animal model of disengagement: Temporary inactivation of the superior colliculus impairs attention disengagement in rats

The orienting attention network is responsible for prioritizing sensory input through overt or covert shifts of attention among targets. The ability to disengage attention is essential for the proper functioning of this network. In addition to its importance for proper orienting, deficits in disengagement have been recently implicated in autism disorders. Despite its importance, the neural mechanisms underlying disengagement processing are still poorly understood. In this study, the involvement of the superior colliculus (SC) in disengagement was investigated in unrestrained rats that had been trained in a two-alternative light-guided spatial choice task. At each trial, the rats had to choose one of two paths, leading either to a large or a small reward, based on 1 (single-cue) or 2 (double-cue) lights. The task consisted of serial trials with single- and/or double-cue lights, and rats could acquire a large reward if the rats chose infrequent lights when infrequent cue lights were presented after preceding frequent cue lights. Experiment 1 included trials with either single- or double-cue lights, and infrequent trials with double-cue lights required both attentional disengagement and shift of attention from preceding frequent single-cue lights, while experiment 2 included only trials with single-cue lights requiring shifts of attention but not attentional disengagement. The results indicated that temporary inactivation of the SC by muscimol injections selectively impaired performance on trials requiring disengagement. No impairment was observed on the other trials, in which attention disengagement was not required. The results provide the first evidence that the SC is necessary for attentional disengagement.

Orbitofrontal lesions eliminate signalling of biological significance in cue-responsive ventral striatal neurons.

The ventral striatum has long been proposed as an integrator of biologically significant associative information to drive actions. While inputs from the amygdala and hippocampus have been much studied, the role of prominent inputs from orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) are less well understood. Here we recorded single unit activity from ventral striatum core in rats with sham or ipsilateral neurotoxic lesions of lateral OFC, as they performed an odor-guided spatial choice task. Consistent with prior reports, we found that spiking activity recorded in sham rats during cue sampling was related to both reward magnitude and reward identity, with higher firing rates observed for cues that predicted more reward. Lesioned rats also showed differential activity to the cues, but this activity was unbiased towards larger rewards. These data support a role for OFC in shaping activity in the ventral striatum to represent the biological significance of associative information in the environment.

Hippocampus and subregions of the dorsal striatum respond differently to a behavioral strategy change on a spatial navigation task

Goal-directed and habit-based behaviors are driven by multiple but dissociable decision making systems involving several different brain areas, including the hippocampus and dorsal striatum. On repetitive tasks, behavior transitions from goal directed to habit based with experience. Hippocampus has been implicated in initial learning and dorsal striatum in automating behavior, but recent studies suggest that subregions within the dorsal striatum have distinct roles in mediating habit-based and goal-directed behavior. We compared neural activity in the CA1 region of hippocampus with anterior dorsolateral and posterior dorsomedial striatum in rats on a spatial choice task, in which subjects experienced reward delivery changes that forced them to adjust their behavioral strategy. Our results confirm the importance of the hippocampus in evaluating predictive steps during goal-directed behavior, while separate circuits in the basal ganglia integrated relevant information during automation of actions and recognized when new behaviors were needed to continue obtaining rewards.

A continuous spatial choice logit model of a polycentric city

This paper analyzes a closed linear polycentric city where households probabilistically select their workplace and residence locations. The study utilizes a continuous logit model to describe household location choices. In contrast to the classic urban model with deterministic location choices, the continuous logit model predicts noticeable direct effects of more than one workplace on land rents, asymmetry of the land rent schedule around secondary business districts, incomplete segregation of citizens who work in different business centers and, therefore, cross-commuting, and incomplete segregation of workers and farmers.

What Matters for Students' Use of Physical Library Space?

Physical space in an academic library is increasingly important to fully support students' diverse needs for learning spaces. However, inefficient space design and planning give rise to crowded and underutilized spaces in a library, thereby probably lowering students' learning outcomes and wasting costly space. Understanding students' use of space can facilitate effective design and planning, which in turn will result in more efficient use of space. As students' spatial choices (i.e., the act of decision-making of an individual or group among two or more space alternatives for a certain activity) account for much of the space use in a library, this study explored the factors that influence their choice of space in an academic library using a paper-based survey (n=252) at the central academic library, Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands. The five most important space attributes were “Amount of space,” “Noise level,” “Crowdedness,” “Comfort of furnishing” and “Cleanliness.” The spatial choice patterns also differed according to different user and activity profiles.

Motor role of parietal cortex in a monkey model of hemispatial neglect

Parietal cortex is central to spatial cognition. Lesions of parietal cortex often lead to hemispatial neglect, an impairment of choices of targets in space. It has been unclear whether parietal cortex implements target choice at the general cognitive level, or whether parietal cortex subserves the choice of targets of particular actions. To address this question, monkeys engaged in choice tasks in two distinct action contexts--eye movements and arm movements. We placed focused reversible lesions into specific parietal circuits using the GABAA receptor agonist muscimol and validated the lesion placement using MRI. We found that lesions on the lateral bank of the intraparietal sulcus [lateral intraparietal area (LIP)] specifically biased choices made using eye movements, whereas lesions on the medial bank of the intraparietal sulcus [parietal reach region (PRR)] specifically biased choices made using arm movements. This double dissociation suggests that target choice is implemented in dedicated parietal circuits in the context of specific actions. This finding emphasizes a motor role of parietal cortex in spatial choice making and contributes to our understanding of hemispatial neglect.

Exploration and exploitation of foraging patches by desert sparrows: environmental indicators and local evaluation of spatially correlated costs and benefits

Conventional evolutionary and behavioral reasoning expects foragers to show strong spatial preferences in environments with heterogeneous resource distribution. Moreover, consumers should benefit from exploiting the information embedded in environmental features that indicate resource abundance. In desert soils seed abundance associates strong and reliably with vegetation and litter cover at small spatial scales. However, other spatially correlated factors (substrate complexity, temperature, predation risk) may affect foraging costs, benefits and decisions by ground‐feeding granivores. We used a sequence of three semi‐controlled field experiments of binary spatial choice within a portable aviary to identify the main cause of foraging microhabitat selection by the most abundant postdispersal granivorous bird in the central Monte desert (Argentina). In the first experiment we placed the aviary at field to offer pairs of adjacent microhabitats of unmodified, naturally‐contrasting substrates and environmental conditions to single, untrained rufous‐collared sparrowsZonotrichia capensis. Birds selected covered microhabitats in winter and summer, ruling out substrate complexity or thermoregulation as main single causes of patch selection. The other two experiments dissociated seed abundance, tree cover and litter to reveal their effects on patch selection. The results indicate that 1) sparrows do not restrict microhabitat exploration relying on environmental indicators, 2) distance to tree cover influences the order of patch exploration, probably in association with apprehension or risk‐assessment behavior, and 3) patch exploitation is determined by short‐term local estimation of seed abundance. The integration of these with previous results obtained under variable degrees of realism and experimental control allows for a better explanation of the spatial component of postdispersal granivory and its consequences on plants. The unconstrained selective foraging strategy of these sparrows would allow them to detect sporadic or ephemeral rich patches with structural characteristics indicating ‘low‐quality’, should promote the spatial homogenization of the palatable seed bank, and would favor indirect interactions between plants.

Neural correlates of object-associated choice behavior in the perirhinal cortex of rats.

The perirhinal cortex (PRC) is reportedly important for object recognition memory, with supporting physiological evidence obtained largely from primate studies. Whether neurons in the rodent PRC also exhibit similar physiological correlates of object recognition, however, remains to be determined. We recorded single units from the PRC in a PRC-dependent, object-cued spatial choice task in which, when cued by an object image, the rat chose the associated spatial target from two identical discs appearing on a touchscreen monitor. The firing rates of PRC neurons were significantly modulated by critical events in the task, such as object sampling and choice response. Neuronal firing in the PRC was correlated primarily with the conjunctive relationships between an object and its associated choice response, although some neurons also responded to the choice response alone. However, we rarely observed a PRC neuron that represented a specific object exclusively regardless of spatial response in rats, although the neurons were influenced by the perceptual ambiguity of the object at the population level. Some PRC neurons fired maximally after a choice response, and this post-choice feedback signal significantly enhanced the neuronal specificity for the choice response in the subsequent trial. Our findings suggest that neurons in the rat PRC may not participate exclusively in object recognition memory but that their activity may be more dynamically modulated in conjunction with other variables, such as choice response and its outcomes.

Five on one side: Personal and social information in spatial choice

To examine whether the outcome of a rat’s own choices (“personal information”) and the choice behavior of another rat (“social information”) can jointly control spatial choices, rats were tested in an open field task in which they searched for food. For the rats of primary interest (Subject Rats), the baited locations were all on one side of the arena, but the specific locations baited and the side on which they occurred varied over trials. The Subject Rats were sometimes tested together with an informed “Model” rat that had learned to find food in the same five locations (all on the same side of the arena) on every trial. Unintended perceptual cues apparently controlled spatial choices at first, but when perceptual cues to food location were not available, choices were controlled by both personal information (allowing the baited side of the arena to be determined) and social information (allowing baited locations to be determined more precisely). This shows that control by personal and social information are not mutually exclusive and supports the view that these two kinds of information can be used flexibly and adaptively to guide spatial choices.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: tribute to Tom Zentall.