Macaques are risk-averse in a freely moving foraging task

Abstract Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) appear to be robustly risk-seeking in computerized gambling tasks typically used for electrophysiology. This behavior distinguishes them from many other animals, which are risk-averse, albeit measured in more naturalistic contexts. We wondered whether macaqu...

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Autores principales:	Benjamin R. Eisenreich*, Benjamin Y. Hayden, Jan Zimmermann
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2019
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/67f3e78024a34fd59461dd3333c9dcdf
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id	oai:doaj.org-article:67f3e78024a34fd59461dd3333c9dcdf
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:67f3e78024a34fd59461dd3333c9dcdf2021-12-02T16:08:05ZMacaques are risk-averse in a freely moving foraging task10.1038/s41598-019-51442-z2045-2322https://doaj.org/article/67f3e78024a34fd59461dd3333c9dcdf2019-10-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-51442-zhttps://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) appear to be robustly risk-seeking in computerized gambling tasks typically used for electrophysiology. This behavior distinguishes them from many other animals, which are risk-averse, albeit measured in more naturalistic contexts. We wondered whether macaques’ risk preferences reflect their evolutionary history or derive from the less naturalistic elements of task design associated with the demands of physiological recording. We assessed macaques’ risk attitudes in a task that is somewhat more naturalistic than many that have previously been used: subjects foraged at four feeding stations in a large enclosure. Patches (i.e., stations), provided either stochastically or non-stochastically depleting rewards. Subjects’ patch residence times were longer at safe than at risky stations, indicating a preference for safe options. This preference was not attributable to a win-stay-lose-shift heuristic and reversed as the environmental richness increased. These findings highlight the lability of risk attitudes in macaques and support the hypothesis that the ecological validity of a task can influence the expression of risk preference.Benjamin R. Eisenreich*Benjamin Y. HaydenJan ZimmermannNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 9, Iss 1, Pp 1-12 (2019)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Benjamin R. Eisenreich* Benjamin Y. Hayden Jan Zimmermann Macaques are risk-averse in a freely moving foraging task
description	Abstract Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) appear to be robustly risk-seeking in computerized gambling tasks typically used for electrophysiology. This behavior distinguishes them from many other animals, which are risk-averse, albeit measured in more naturalistic contexts. We wondered whether macaques’ risk preferences reflect their evolutionary history or derive from the less naturalistic elements of task design associated with the demands of physiological recording. We assessed macaques’ risk attitudes in a task that is somewhat more naturalistic than many that have previously been used: subjects foraged at four feeding stations in a large enclosure. Patches (i.e., stations), provided either stochastically or non-stochastically depleting rewards. Subjects’ patch residence times were longer at safe than at risky stations, indicating a preference for safe options. This preference was not attributable to a win-stay-lose-shift heuristic and reversed as the environmental richness increased. These findings highlight the lability of risk attitudes in macaques and support the hypothesis that the ecological validity of a task can influence the expression of risk preference.
format	article
author	Benjamin R. Eisenreich* Benjamin Y. Hayden Jan Zimmermann
author_facet	Benjamin R. Eisenreich* Benjamin Y. Hayden Jan Zimmermann
author_sort	Benjamin R. Eisenreich*
title	Macaques are risk-averse in a freely moving foraging task
title_short	Macaques are risk-averse in a freely moving foraging task
title_full	Macaques are risk-averse in a freely moving foraging task
title_fullStr	Macaques are risk-averse in a freely moving foraging task
title_full_unstemmed	Macaques are risk-averse in a freely moving foraging task
title_sort	macaques are risk-averse in a freely moving foraging task
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2019
url	https://doaj.org/article/67f3e78024a34fd59461dd3333c9dcdf
work_keys_str_mv	AT benjaminreisenreich macaquesareriskaverseinafreelymovingforagingtask AT benjaminyhayden macaquesareriskaverseinafreelymovingforagingtask AT janzimmermann macaquesareriskaverseinafreelymovingforagingtask
_version_	1718384600763334656

Macaques are risk-averse in a freely moving foraging task

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