Agitated Honeybees Show Pessimistic Thinking
Author Information
Author(s): Melissa Bateson, Suzanne Desire, Sarah E. Gartside, Geraldine A. Wright
Primary Institution: Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University
Hypothesis
Do honeybees exhibit pessimistic cognitive biases when subjected to an anxiety-like state?
Conclusion
Agitated honeybees are more likely to interpret ambiguous stimuli as threats, indicating a cognitive component of emotion similar to that of vertebrates.
Supporting Evidence
- Agitated honeybees display an increased expectation of bad outcomes.
- Hemolymph levels of dopamine, octopamine, and serotonin are reduced in agitated bees.
- Honeybees exhibit a vertebrate-like emotional state.
Takeaway
When honeybees get shaken up, they start thinking that things are worse than they really are, just like when people feel anxious.
Methodology
Honeybees were trained with two odors predicting different outcomes, then subjected to shaking to induce anxiety before testing their responses to ambiguous stimuli.
Potential Biases
Potential biases in interpreting the results due to the nature of the conditioning and testing methods.
Limitations
The study does not confirm the presence of subjective feelings in honeybees.
Participant Demographics
Individual worker honeybees (Apis mellifera carnica) collected from an outdoor colony.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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