scholarly journals Individual differences affect honest signalling in a songbird

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1775) ◽  
pp. 20132496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Çağlar Akçay ◽  
S. Elizabeth Campbell ◽  
Michael D. Beecher
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Personality Trait ◽  
Aggressive Behaviour ◽  
Melospiza Melodia ◽  
Honest Signalling ◽  
Signalling System ◽  
The Past ◽  
Song Sparrows ◽  
Residual Variation ◽  
Aggressive Behaviours

Research in the past decade has established the existence of consistent individual differences or ‘personality’ in animals and their important role in many aspects of animal behaviour. At the same time, research on honest signalling of aggression has revealed that while some of the putative aggression signals are reliable, they are only imperfectly so. This study asks whether a significant portion of the variance in the aggression-signal regression may be explained by individual differences in signalling strategies. Using the well-studied aggressive signalling system of song sparrows ( Melospiza melodia ), we carried out repeated assays to measure both aggressive behaviours and aggressive signalling of territorial males. Through these assays, we found that aggressive behaviours and aggressive signalling were both highly repeatable, and moreover that aggressive behaviours in 2009–2010 predicted whether the birds would attack a taxidermic mount over a year later. Most significantly, we found that residual variation in signalling behaviours, after controlling for aggressive behaviour, was individually consistent, suggesting there may be a second personality trait determining the level of aggressive signalling. We term this potential personality trait ‘communicativeness’ and discuss these results in the context of honest signalling theories and recent findings reporting prevalence of ‘under-signalling’.

scholarly journals Methods for measuring mammalian personalities: In which animals and how accurately can we quantify it?

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 183-198
Author(s):  
Barbora Žampachová ◽  
Eva Landová ◽  
Daniel Frynta
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Personality Trait ◽  
Experimental Approach ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Personality Testing ◽  
Confounding Factors ◽  
Methodological Issues ◽  
Statistical Tool ◽  
The Past ◽  
Personality Studies

Abstract The study of personality, and individual differences in behaviour has experienced a steady rise in popularity in the past years. In this review and meta-analysis, we aim to introduce the concept of personality and related phenomena. A behavioural trait should meet two basic conditions to be considered a personality trait – it should be consistent (1) in time and (2) across contexts. In mammals, the two most common orders in personality studies are primates and rodents. We therefore introduce different approaches to personality testing in these two orders. Primate personality studies are based on psychology studies and often rely on the observer’s ratings. Rodent personality studies originate in the studies of physiology and use an experimental approach. We present a more detailed overview of methodological issues of repeatability as a statistical tool for measuring consistency across time. The classic methods of computing repeatability do not consider habituation and other trends which may become confounding factors and lead to underestimation of repeatability. We also discuss consistency across contexts and different understandings of the context definition. We illustrate the variability of personality studies in mammals with a meta-analysis of repeatability estimates. We found that repeatability of behaviour depends on the methodology of behavioural testing and statistical analyses used, but also the number of test repetitions and differences between the focal behaviours. Repeatability decreased with more repetitions and the tests of aggressiveness and exploratory behaviour yielded lower repeatability estimates than the tests of activity.

scholarly journals Risk allocation: acute and chronic predator exposure have contrasting effects on Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) singing behaviour

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-266
Author(s):  
Anne Margaret Ellison ◽  
Ron Ydenberg
Keyword(s):  
Risk Taking ◽  
Melospiza Melodia ◽  
Acute Exposure ◽  
Song Sparrow ◽  
Risk Allocation ◽  
Territorial Defense ◽  
Accipiter Cooperii ◽  
The Past ◽  
Song Sparrows ◽  
Predation Danger

Increasing the danger posed by predators may cause prey animals to alter their behaviour. For example, they may be more vigilant and so feed more slowly. Breeding male Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia (A. Wilson, 1810)) spend much time in conspicuous, loud song, which is an important behaviour for territorial defense and for mate attraction. We measured their singing behaviour in relation to both chronic (active Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii (Bonaparte, 1828)) nest nearby) and acute (playback of hawk calls) predator exposure. We found that proximity to a Cooper’s Hawk nest had little or no influence. In contrast, the response to acute exposure was strong and immediate: Song Sparrows reduced the song rate and the proportion of time spent singing, lowered perch height, and increased concealment. The decline in the amount of song during the few minutes following playback attributable to the acute exposure was 34.6%. We analyze these results in light of theories about how animals adjust risk taking in response to predation danger. Given that the numbers of their predators have risen steadily for the past few decades and affect the level of singing, we consider the implications for trend estimates of songbird populations based on surveys using auditory methods.

scholarly journals Resolving the conundrum of inbreeding depression but no inbreeding avoidance: Estimating sex-specific selection on inbreeding by song sparrows (Melospiza melodia)

Evolution ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 69 (11) ◽  
pp. 2846-2861 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane M. Reid ◽  
Peter Arcese ◽  
Greta Bocedi ◽  
A. Bradley Duthie ◽  
Matthew E. Wolak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inbreeding Depression ◽  
Inbreeding Avoidance ◽  
Melospiza Melodia ◽  
Song Sparrows

scholarly journals Characterizing Bilingual Effects on Cognition: The Search for Meaningful Individual Differences

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Kristina C. Backer ◽  
Heather Bortfeld
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Language Background ◽  
Bilingual Advantage ◽  
The Past ◽  
General Movement ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Task Irrelevant ◽  
Analytical Approaches ◽  
The Relationship

A debate over the past decade has focused on the so-called bilingual advantage—the idea that bilingual and multilingual individuals have enhanced domain-general executive functions, relative to monolinguals, due to competition-induced monitoring of both processing and representation from the task-irrelevant language(s). In this commentary, we consider a recent study by Pot, Keijzer, and de Bot (2018), which focused on the relationship between individual differences in language usage and performance on an executive function task among multilingual older adults. We discuss their approach and findings in light of a more general movement towards embracing complexity in this domain of research, including individuals’ sociocultural context and position in the lifespan. The field increasingly considers interactions between bilingualism/multilingualism and cognition, employing measures of language use well beyond the early dichotomous perspectives on language background. Moreover, new measures of bilingualism and analytical approaches are helping researchers interrogate the complexities of specific processing issues. Indeed, our review of the bilingualism/multilingualism literature confirms the increased appreciation researchers have for the range of factors—beyond whether someone speaks one, two, or more languages—that impact specific cognitive processes. Here, we highlight some of the most salient of these, and incorporate suggestions for a way forward that likewise encompasses neural perspectives on the topic.

Husbandry of wild-caught song sparrows (Melospiza melodia )

Zoo Biology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 206-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori Smith ◽  
Sara Hallager ◽  
Erin Kendrick ◽  
Katharine Hope ◽  
Raymond M. Danner
Keyword(s):  
Melospiza Melodia ◽  
Song Sparrows

scholarly journals Fitness Correlates of Song Repertoire Size in Free‐Living Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia)

2005 ◽  
Vol 165 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane M. Reid ◽  
Peter Arcese ◽  
Alice L. E. V. Cassidy ◽  
Sara M. Hiebert ◽  
James N. M. Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Melospiza Melodia ◽  
Repertoire Size ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Song Repertoire ◽  
Song Sparrows

Individual Variation in the Strength of Territory Defense in Male Song Sparrows: Correlates of Age, Territory Tenure, and Neighbor Aggressiveness

Behaviour ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 141 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Hyman ◽  
Melissa Hughes ◽  
Stephen Nowicki ◽  
William Searcy
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Extrinsic Factors ◽  
Territory Defense ◽  
Intrinsic Factors ◽  
Territorial Aggression ◽  
Male Song ◽  
Song Sparrows ◽  
Territory Owner ◽  
Older Males

AbstractIn many species, the ability to defend a territory is essential for a male to obtain any reproductive success at all, and even among territorial individuals, variation in the strength of territory defense could have a significant impact on how much reproductive success is obtained. Previous studies have documented consistent individual differences in the vigor with which male song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) defend their territories, as measured by the strength of their reactions to territorial intrusions simulated through song playback. Variation in the strength of defense could reflect intrinsic differences among individuals in their resource holding potential (RHP), or variation in extrinsic factors. In this study, we examined whether variation in the strength of territory defense corresponds to differences in intrinsic factors such as the age or experience of the territory owner, the extrinsic factor of the level of aggression shown by neighbours, or both. Results indicate that males that previously held territories on the study site, regardless of whether they were holding the same territory as the previous year, show higher levels of territory defense than males that are new to the study site, and, assuming that returning males are older males, suggest that age is more important than experience on a specific territory in determining strength of territory defense. In addition, we found evidence that males with high levels of territorial aggression tend to be spatially clustered. The pattern observed suggests that a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute to the expression of individual differences in territorial aggression.

scholarly journals Identifying the prevalence of aggressive behaviour reported by Registered Intellectual Disability Nurses in residential intellectual disability services: an Irish perspective

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 174-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Crotty ◽  
O. Doody ◽  
R. Lyons
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Aggressive Behaviour ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Verbal Aggression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Precise Knowledge ◽  
Specific Behaviour ◽  
Programme Development ◽  
Aggressive Behaviours ◽  
The Republic

Purpose – Despite the high incidence of aggressive behaviours among some individuals with intellectual disability, Ireland has paid little attention to the prevalence of aggressive behaviours experienced by Registered Intellectual Disability Nurses (RNID). Within services the focus is mainly on intervention and management of such behaviours. Therefore a disparity occurs in that these interventions and management strategies have become the exclusive concern. Resulting in aggressive behaviour being seen as a sole entity, where similar interventions and management strategies are used for ambiguously contrasting aggressive behaviours. Consequently the ability to document and assess-specific behaviour typologies and their prevalence is fundamental not only to understand these behaviour types but also to orient and educate RNIDs in specific behaviour programme development. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This study reports on a survey of the prevalence of verbal aggression, aggression against property and aggression against others experienced by RNIDs’ within four residential settings across two health service executive regions in Ireland. A purposeful non-random convenience sampling method was employed. Totally, 119 RNIDs responded to the survey which was an adaptation of Crocker et al. (2006) survey instrument Modified Overt Aggression Scale. Findings – The findings of this study showed the experienced prevalence rate of verbal aggression, aggression against property and aggression against others were 64, 48.9 and 50.7 per cent, respectively. Cross-tabulation of specific correlates identifies those with a mild and intellectual disability as displaying a greater prevalence of verbal aggression and aggression against property. While those with a moderate intellectual disability displayed a higher prevalence of aggression against others. Males were reported as more aggressive across all three typologies studied and those aged between 20 and 39 recorded the highest prevalence of aggression across all three typologies. The practice classification areas of challenging behaviour and low support reported the highest prevalence of aggression within all typologies. Originality/value – The health care of the person with intellectual disability and aggressive behaviour presents an enormous challenge for services. In-order to improve considerably the quality of life for clients, services need to take a careful considered pragmatic view of the issues for the person with intellectual disability and aggressive behaviour and develop realistic, proactive and responsive strategies. To do this, precise knowledge of the prevalence of aggressive behaviours needs to be obtained. This study is the first of its kind in the Republic of Ireland.

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