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Xie J, Li L, Lu Y, Zhuang J, Wu Y, Li P, Zheng L. Learning from in-group and out-group models induces separative effects on human mate copying. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:nsad051. [PMID: 37757743 PMCID: PMC10547020 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mate copying is a social learning process in which individuals gather public information about potential mates by observing models' choices. Previous studies have reported that individual attributes of female models affect mate copying, yet little is known about whether and how the group attributes of models influence mate copying. In the current behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies, female participants were asked to rate their willingness to choose the depicted males as potential romantic partners before and after observing in-group or out-group female models accepting, rejecting or being undecided (baseline) about the males. Results showed that participants changed their ratings to align with the models' acceptance or rejection choices. Compared to rejection copying, the effect of acceptance copying was stronger and regulated by in- and out-group models, manifesting a discounting copying effect when learning from out-group models. At the neural level, for acceptance copying, stronger temporoparietal junction (TPJ) activity and connectivity between TPJ and anterior medial prefrontal cortex (amPFC) were observed when female models belonged to out-group members; meanwhile, the functional connection of TPJ and amPFC positively predicted the rating changes when learning from out-group models. The results indicated that participants might need more resources to infer out-group members' intentions to overcome the in-group bias during acceptance copying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Xie
- Department of Psychology, Normal College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Lin Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Yang Lu
- Fudan Institute on Ageing, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- MOE Laboratory for National Development and Intelligent Governance, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jinying Zhuang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Yuyan Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Peng Li
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Li Zheng
- Fudan Institute on Ageing, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- MOE Laboratory for National Development and Intelligent Governance, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
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Zhuang JY, Xie J, Li P, Fan M, Bode S. Neural profiles of observing acceptance and rejection decisions in human mate choice copying. Neuroimage 2021; 233:117929. [PMID: 33675996 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mate choice copying refers to an agent copying the choice for a potential sexual/romantic partner made by a relevant model and has been observed across many species. This study investigated the neural profiles of two copying strategies in humans - acceptance and rejection copying - using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Female participants observed female models accepting, rejecting, or being undecided about (control), males as potential romantic partners before and after rating their own willingness to choose the same males. We found that observing acceptance shifted participants' own choices towards acceptance, while observing rejection shifted participants' choices towards rejection. A network of motivation-, conflict- and reinforcement learning related brain regions was activated for observing the models' decisions. The rostral anterior cingulate gyrus (rACCg) and the caudate in particular were activated more strongly when observing acceptance. Activation in the inferior parietal lobe directly scaled with the magnitude of changes in choices after observing acceptance, while activation in the ACCg also scaled with changes after observing rejection. These findings point to partly dissociable neural profiles for copying strategies that might be linked to different contributions of incentive-driven and vicarious motivation, potentially reflecting the presence or absence of internalised reward experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Ying Zhuang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China.
| | - Jiajia Xie
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Peng Li
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
| | - Mingxia Fan
- Department of Physics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, China
| | - Stefan Bode
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
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Wang D, Zhou S, Kong X, Han D, Liu Y, Sun L, Mao W, Maguire P, Hu Y. The influence of model quality on self-other mate choice copying. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Davies AD, Lewis Z, Dougherty LR. A meta-analysis of factors influencing the strength of mate-choice copying in animals. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Mate-choice copying is a form of social learning in which an individual’s choice of mate is influenced by the apparent choices of other individuals of the same sex and has been observed in more than 20 species across a broad taxonomic range. Though fitness benefits of copying have proven difficult to measure, theory suggests that copying should not be beneficial for all species or contexts. However, the factors influencing the evolution and expression of copying have proven difficult to resolve. We systematically searched the literature for studies of mate-choice copying in nonhuman animals and, then, performed a phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis to explore which factors influence the expression of copying across species. Across 58 published studies in 23 species, we find strong evidence that animals copy the mate choice of others. The strength of copying was significantly influenced by taxonomic group; however, sample size limitations mean it is difficult to draw firm conclusions regarding copying in mammals and arthropods. The strength of copying was also influenced by experimental design: copying was stronger when choosers were tested before and after witnessing a conspecific’s mate choice compared to when choosers with social information were compared to choosers without. Importantly, we did not detect any difference in the strength of copying between males and females or in relation to the rate of multiple mating. Our search also highlights that more empirical work is needed to investigate copying in a broader range of species, especially those with differing mating systems and levels of reproductive investment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice D Davies
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, UK
| | - Zenobia Lewis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, UK
| | - Liam R Dougherty
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, UK
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Jones BC, DuVal EH. Mechanisms of Social Influence: A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Social Information on Female Mate Choice Decisions. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
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Uetz GW, Clark DL, Kane H, Stoffer B. Listening in: the importance of vibratory courtship signals for male eavesdropping in the wolf spider, Schizocosa ocreata. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2743-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Fuss T, Nöbel S, Witte K. It's in the eye of the beholder: visual lateralisation in response to the social environment in poeciliids. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2019; 94:759-771. [PMID: 30854659 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The social environment offers fish complex information about the quality, performance, personality and other cues of potential mates and competitors simultaneously. It is likely, therefore, that the environmental information regarding the context of mate choice is perceived and processed differently in species and sexes in respect to lateralisation. The present study comparatively assessed visual lateralisation behaviour in response to different social or sexual stimuli in three closely related poeciliid species (P. latipinna, P. mexicana, P. formosa) in comparison to a more distantly related species (P. reticulata). Individuals were presented with four different social or sexual stimuli that were tested against a control stimulus; (a) a conspecific male, (b) a conspecific female, (c) a heterosexual conspecific pair, (d) three conspecific females (shoal). In order to approach a target stimulus, focal fish had to perform detours to the right or left of a vertically straight-shaped barrier. The three closely related poeciliid species, P. latipinna, P. mexicana, P. formosa, appeared to have a general tendency to turn right (i.e., left-eye preference), whereas the more distantly related P. reticulata males and females showed an overall bias to the left (i.e., right-eye preference) in response to various social-sexual incitements. Moreover, body size seemed to significantly influence especially the males' detour behaviour, with smaller males acting in opposition to their larger conspecifics in response to certain social stimuli. In this case, smaller and larger Poecilia spp. males responded in the same way as smaller and larger males of the other three poeciliid species. Therefore, results possibly point to differences in the degree of general social behaviour between closely and more distantly related species and mating motivation amongst larger and smaller individuals when placed in a novel social environment. Hence, present results possibly suggest a sex-specific functional lateralisation for the analysis of visual information and seem to support the closer ancestral relationships between the Poecilia spp. tested in this study and the more distantly related guppies in terms of their left-right lateralisation. Generally, present results suggest that functional asymmetries in behaviour could be widespread among vertebrates, thus supporting the hypothesis of an early evolution of lateralisation in brain and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Fuss
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioural Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
| | - Sabine Nöbel
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioural Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Klaudia Witte
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioural Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
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Editorial to the topical collection “From sensory perception to behavior”. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2599-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Witte K, Baumgärtner K, Röhrig C, Nöbel S. Test of the Deception Hypothesis in Atlantic Mollies Poecilia mexicana-Does the Audience Copy a Pretended Mate Choice of Others? BIOLOGY 2018; 7:E40. [PMID: 30011804 PMCID: PMC6164261 DOI: 10.3390/biology7030040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Animals often use public information for mate-choice decisions by observing conspecifics as they choose their mates and then copying this witnessed decision. When the copier, however, is detected by the choosing individual, the latter often alters its behavior and spends more time with the previously non-preferred mate. This behavioral change is called the audience effect. The deception hypothesis states that the choosing individual changes its behavior to distract the audience from the preferred mate. The deception hypothesis, however, only applies if the audience indeed copies the pretended mate choice of the observed individual. So far, this necessary prerequisite has never been tested. We investigated in Atlantic molly males and females whether, first, focal fish show an audience effect, i.e., alter their mate choices in the presence of an audience fish, and second, whether audience fish copy the mate choice of the focal fish they had just witnessed. We found evidence that male and female Atlantic mollies copy the pretended mate choice of same-sex focal fish. Therefore, a necessary requirement of the deception hypothesis is fulfilled. Our results show that public information use in the context of mate choice can be costly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia Witte
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Department of Chemistry-Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2, 57076 Siegen, Germany.
| | - Katharina Baumgärtner
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Department of Chemistry-Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2, 57076 Siegen, Germany.
| | - Corinna Röhrig
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Department of Chemistry-Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2, 57076 Siegen, Germany.
| | - Sabine Nöbel
- CNRS, Université Toulouse, IRD, UMR 5174, EDB (Évolution & Diversité Biologique), 118 Route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse CEDEX 9, France.
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