Prior-residence effect in Betta splendens..

Presented male Siamese fighting fish with the visual image of an aggressive male conspecific for a 150-min test, with attack behaviors monitored continually, to examine the hypothesis that a period of residency results in relatively persistent combat. A 10-day period of residency in either the test tank or its exact replica resulted in more persistent attack than 10 min of residency. Testing in water other than that in which Ss had resided for 10 days did not produce a reduction in attack. Finally, the extent of attack behavior occurring early in testing was highly and positively correlated with subsequent attack duration; that is, at the start of an encounter, and before severe physical damage has been caused, Bettas may communicate to opponents their intention to engage in persistent, injurious aggression. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Agonistic and reproductive interactions in Betta splendens..

Conducted 8 experiments to investigate the reproductive and agonistic behaviors of Siamese fighting fish and isolated some consequences and determinants of these sequences. Fights and the formation of dominance–subordinancy relations were studied, using 536 pairs of male fish. The effect and magnitude of prior residency, the importance of body length, chemical cues, and intratank visual/tactile clues were observed. Findings indicate that large body size as well as Ss' prior residency in a tank produced an agonistic advantage; the magnitude of this advantage was positively related to the duration of residency. The prior-residency effect in Bettas was determined by Ss' familiarity with visual and/or tactile cues in their home tanks. Dominant males had greater access to living space and were more likely to display at a mirror, build nests, and approach females than were subordinates. Finally, it was discovered that chemical cues associated with presumedly inert plastic tank dividers influenced Bettas's social behavior. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Onset of combat in male Betta splendens..

Five studies simulated the onset of male–male aggression in 155 Siamese fighting fish. After less than 10 min of continual exposure to the visual image of a conspecific, Ss increased the defensive perimeter around their bodies. In addition, live males elicited aggressive displays at a greater subject-to-stimulus distance than did mirrors. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Curvilinear effects of severity of punishment on species-typical aggressive display in Betta splendens..

Three experiments examined the effects of the severity of punishment, defined in terms of intensity/voltage (Exp I), duration (Exp II), and frequency combined with 2 levels of intensity (Exp III), on the aggressive display of Siamese fighting fish. Findings show that display duration was a curvilinear function of punishment severity regardless of whether severity was defined as intensity, duration, or frequency. Relative to nonpunished conditions, moderate levels of punishment increased display duration, whereas strong punishment led to suppression. Increased biting was observed with moderate levels of punishment frequency. Results are discussed in terms of adaptive significance of the organism's reaction to counteraggression. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Socially mediated learning in male Betta splendens..

Showed, in 7 experiments, that in the absence of social stimulation male Siamese fighting fish would approach any of several visual and spatial cues that had previously been paired with the Ss' mirror images. Findings demonstrate that learned modifications of swimming mediated by social stimuli are possible in Bettas. Results suggest that Ss learned to exhibit conditioned gill-cover erection as part of a pattern of locomotion that could effectively maintain territories. Nearly all Ss learned to swim in proximity to visual and spatial cues previously presented with conspecific images. Results also suggest that territorial defense in some teleosts may be mediated by the association of social cues with visual and spatial stimuli. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of dominance in male Betta splendens..

Examined the formation of dominant–subordinant relations in pairs of male Siamese fighting fish in 6 experiments to investigate the claim that Bettas' initial display tendencies predict success in actual combat. Dominant Ss typically were those that built the largest nests and that attacked an image of a live, displaying male most intensely prior to combat. However, pretest performance on an operant task and reaction to an S's own mirror image were not useful predictors of subsequent dominance. Results demonstrate that attack durations are bimodally distributed and show that inter-S agonistic variance becomes large in the presence of a persistent and proximately displaying conspecific. Findings are consistent with the suggestion that domesticated Bettas have a territorial social strategy that includes both nest-building and fighting behaviors. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Commitments to aggression and nest sites in male Betta splendens..

Results from 4 experiments indicate that male Siamese fighting fish constructed nests that were relatively isolated from conspecific males. Following nest construction, the presence of a male opponent elicited nest fixation, further nest building, and an agonistic sequence, (i.e., attacks alternating with flight movements), along with gill displays occurring near the opponent. The form of a male–male encounter depended upon the distance between a resident's nest and the opponent as well as the individual differences in combatants' tolerance for the presence of a conspecific nearby. Also, the intensity of aggression early in an encounter was positively correlated with the intensity of subsequent fighting. Males appear to compete for space through the use of aggressive behavior and to coordinate their fighting activities by means of visual signals. An incentive model of visual communication is proposed in which visual cues emanating from a displaying male opponent elicit attack with an intensity that is directly proportional to the persistence of the opponent and inversely proportional to the distance between fish. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some comparative aspects of yawning in Betta splendens, Homo sapiens, Panthera leo, and Papio sphinx..

There have been relatively few empirical or theoretical investigations of the yawning response. Based on field and laboratory research with four vertebrate species, data are presented on yawning frequency. In general, human yawning occurred more frequently in the relative absence of social, cognitive, or physical stimulation; yawning by the other species was more frequent in the presence of such stimulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of telencephalon ablation on the reinforcing and eliciting properties of species-specific events in Betta splendens..

Studied the effect of ablation on the instrumental learning and Pavlovian conditioning of 98 Betta splendens. In Exp I, the mirror presentations in yoked-control groups elicited fewer responses in ablates than in normal and sham-operated controls. Yoked controls established that instrumental responding was maintained by the reinforcement contingency and was not merely the result of increased motor activity. Exp II studied Pavlovian conditioning of the components of agonistic display. Unconditioned fin erection, gill erection, and tail beating to the mirror UCS were less frequent in ablates than in normals or shams. Only gill cover erection showed evidence of true conditioning. However, ablates suffered no impairment of conditioned gill erections. Results support hypotheses postulating the involvement of learned mechanisms in ablation-produced deficits and normal aggressive behavior. (47 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social reinforcement in Betta splendens: A reconsideration.

Two experiments showed that conspecific images release aggressive behavior in male Siamese fighting fish with an intensity inversely related to the S-to-image distance. Exps III and IV then showed that part of this ethogram was the alternation of approach and escape maneuvers similar to the pattern of movements observed at the start of combat. Findings suggest that reinforcement procedures have neglected these species-specific tendencies. Claims that Ss work or are motivated to seek agonistic experiences were considered ambiguous. Data alleging to demonstrate a process of social reinforcement are more consistent with the hypothesis that Ss reacted to social cues that were presented intermittently. Aggression in Siamese fighting fish appeared not to be governed by response-reinforcement principles but to be modulated by the qualities of releasing stimuli (i.e., their size, shape, and distance from S). (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Habituation of fright and arousal responses in the teleosts Carassius auratus and Rutilus rutilus..

Examined the habituation of fright and arousal responses of the goldfish and roach to the repeated operation of a plunger in the water. The early response was fright, which habituated, and then the response characteristic of arousal appeared, which habituated as well. Longer intervals between stimuli required more presentations of the stimulus for habituation to occur in goldfish. Roaches required more presentations of the stimulus than goldfish for the responses to habituate, and telencephalic ablation severely impaired habituation of arousal, though not fright responses. Results are discussed in relation to recent work on arousal, habituation, and telencephalic function in fish. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex reversal in female Betta splendens as a function of testosterone manipulation and social influence.

In Experiment 1, female Betta given daily injections of testosterone (T) for 9 weeks acquired anatomical features characteristic of males as indicated by changes in fin length, body coloration, and gonadal morphology. These findings suggested that a potential for sex reversal exists in females of this species. In Experiment 2 we measured changes in aggressive behavior during testosterone-induced anatomical changes. Aggression decreased toward females and increased toward males as treatment with T progressed. The final displays of aggressive behavior and anatomical characteristics of fish injected with T resembled those of typical males. In Experiment 3, female Betta primed with T injections for 3 or 6 weeks and permitted to interact socially with females continued to display characteristics of sex reversal after T supplementation ceased. Sex reversal in isolated fish injected with T for 3 or 6 weeks was not sustained, and fish receiving only the control vehicle showed negligible change in both the isolated and community conditions. We discuss the results in terms of similarities with the sex change process found in isolated communities of coral reef fish. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some characteristics of jobs announced in the APA Monitor..

For this study, all 2,914 first-time U.S. job advertisements listed in the 1984 APA Monitor were content analyzed. Findings include data on types of jobs advertised, academic levels, salary, job duration, month of first announcement, and areas of psychology. These data complement employment surveys to provide information about job availability for psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response-specific inhibition during general facilitation of defensive responses in Aplysia..

Siphon responses of Aplysia have been used to examine the neural basis of nociceptive behavioral inhibition. The authors tested the response specificity and functional significance of this inhibition. Video analysis showed that strong tail-nerve shock decreased the duration of siphon constriction evoked by weak siphon shock. Tail-nerve shock also caused the appearance of a novel flaring response to the test stimulus, which resembled the siphon response to tail-nerve shock. Novel flaring responses were expressed to both mechanical and electrical siphon stimuli. Tailshock facilitated another defensive response, inking, during the period of inhibited siphon constriction. Tailshock also facilitated tail contractions evoked by weak contralateral tail stimulation during this period. These results indicate that inhibition is not generalized across defensive responses and is specific to siphon responses that interfere with directed ink ejection toward an injured site. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Slime-trail tracking in the predatory snail, Euglandina rosea.

Euglandina rosea, a predatory land snail, tracks prey and mates by following slime trails. Euglandina follow slime trails more than 80% of the time, following trails of their own species, but not those of prey snails, in the direction that they were laid. The attractive elements of prey slime are small, water-soluble compounds detected by specialized lip extensions. Although olfaction plays no role in trail following, strong odors disrupt tracking. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase also disrupts slime trail following, suggesting a role for nitric oxide in neural processing of slime trail stimuli. Euglandina can be conditioned to follow novel trails of glutamate or arginine paired with feeding on prey snails. These experiments demonstrate that slime-trail tracking in Euglandina is a robust, easily measured behavior that makes a good model system for studying sensory processing and learning in a novel modality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive versus inference..

Expresses reservations concerning not the content but the vocabulary used by R. B. Zajonc in his article on feeling and thinking (see record 1980-09733-001). The vocabulary serves to perpetuate a pervasive confusion among several legitimate senses of the words cognitive and inference. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Facilitative and suppressive effects of punishment on species-typical aggressive display in Betta splendens.

Determined effects of moderate and intense punishment on aggressive behavior. Following either 15 or 45 massed presentations to a mirror, 35 Siamese fighting fish were punished for aggressive display (gill extension). Intense shock punishment led to complete suppression of the display. Recovery of the display depended on the level of habituation, i.e., only the fish given 15 mirror presentations prior to punishment showed recovery. Given "room" for an increase, a moderate level of punishment led to longer displays. A 2nd experiment with 6 Ss confirmed this latter finding with spaced (daily) blocks of trials. (23 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reassessment of socially mediated learning in Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens).

Seven experiments examined a previous report of Pavlovian conditioning of territorial behavior using a mirror unconditioned stimulus/stimuli (UCS) in Betta splendens. Control procedures omitted from the original research were included. Three studies failed to find that exposure to a mirror (UCS) in a colored tunnel conditioned stimulus/stimuli (CS+) produces learned approach to this tunnel. Instead, the fish exhibited unlearned green color preferences prior to mirror exposure and highly variable, random tunnel preferences after mirror exposure, One experiment provided evidence for an associative effect with the red CS+, but training with the green CS+ did not produce enhanced tunnel preferences. In contrast, spatial discrimination was shown in 2 experiments. The data, taken with other failures to replicate, raised questions about the biological preparedness of B. splendens to learn to associate agonistic responses with color features in the environment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Time discrimination in Columba livia and Homo sapiens..

Evaluates pigeons' ability to discriminate stimulus duration, focusing on stimuli less than 1 sec in duration, in 4 experiments. In Exp 1, the performances of pigeons and humans were compared with a staircase technique, and in Exp 2, the method of constant stimuli was used. Both experiments produced similar results: The pigeon and human data were well described by the generalized form of Weber's law (D. J. Getty; see record 1975-30865-001). Exp 3 demonstrated that the birds did not use perceived brightness to mediate the discrimination of brief visual durations. Exp 4 used a modified staircase procedure that yielded a continuous measure of discrimination from absolute threshold (0 sec) to about 1 sec. The difference thresholds were constant over a considerable range, similar to findings reported by A. B. Kristofferson (see record 1981-09423-001) for human timing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Odors can induce feeding motor responses in the terrestrial mollusc Limax maximus..

Highly developed odor learning was shown in the terrestrial slug Limax maximus. In addition, several key cellular elements of the neural network that controls ingestive feeding have been identified. The results of 3 experiments demonstrate an interaction between odor input and ingestive feeding in that olfactory stimulation with behaviorally attractive odors summed with tactile stimulation from plain agar to produce ingestion of plain agar. Agar ingestion did not occur in the absence of attractive odor stimulation. The adequacy of odor stimulation to trigger agar ingestion was altered by associative learning. Innately attractive odors rendered repellant by associative learning no longer triggered agar ingestion, whereas innately repellent odors rendered attractive by conditioning triggered agar ingestion. The newly discovered feeding command cells in the Limax cerebral ganglion are a logical cellular locus for this interaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)