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Using an abstract geometry in virtual reality to explore choice behaviour: visual flicker preferences in honeybees

Overview of attention for article published in Journal of Experimental Biology, September 2015
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Title
Using an abstract geometry in virtual reality to explore choice behaviour: visual flicker preferences in honeybees
Published in
Journal of Experimental Biology, September 2015
DOI 10.1242/jeb.125138
Pubmed ID
Authors

Matthew N. Van De Poll, Esmi L. Zajaczkowski, Gavin J. Taylor, Mandyam V. Srinivasan, Bruno van Swinderen

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.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 46 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Spain 1 2%
United States 1 2%
Unknown 44 96%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Ph. D. Student 15 33%
Researcher 10 22%
Student > Bachelor 4 9%
Student > Doctoral Student 2 4%
Student > Postgraduate 2 4%
Other 5 11%
Unknown 8 17%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 12 26%
Neuroscience 10 22%
Psychology 4 9%
Computer Science 2 4%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 2 4%
Other 8 17%
Unknown 8 17%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 12 April 2018.
All research outputs
#16,048,009
of 25,374,647 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Experimental Biology
#6,671
of 9,330 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#148,210
of 279,002 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Experimental Biology
#87
of 128 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,374,647 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 34th percentile – i.e., 34% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 9,330 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 14.9. This one is in the 25th percentile – i.e., 25% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 279,002 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 44th percentile – i.e., 44% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 128 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 25th percentile – i.e., 25% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.