Bird Behavior and Emotional Contagion

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Questions and Answers

What behavior did the birds exhibit when one bird startled and flew off?

They assessed the threat before reacting.
They remained calm and continued foraging.
They communicated with each other for reassurance.
They followed without assessing if the threat was real. (correct)

In the long-term study, how did the grosbeaks' scanning behavior differ based on their arrangement?

Birds in a circle showed more coordination in scanning. (correct)
The birds in a line were more relaxed when scanning.
Birds in a line were more aware of their surroundings.
The circular arrangement was less coordinated.

What was a suggested reason for the increased nervousness in grosbeaks feeding in a line?

They were more social and relied on vocalizations.
They had a better view of their surroundings.
They had fewer predators in that area.
They could not see the behaviors of all their flockmates. (correct)

What does emotional contagion refer to in the context of the grosbeaks?

<p>The spread of anxiety and fear among birds. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why was emotional contagion limited for the grosbeaks in a linear array?

<p>They could only see and assess their nearest neighbors. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Emotional Contagion (Birds)

A phenomenon where one bird's fear or excitement spreads to other birds in the flock without direct physical contact.

Antipredatory Scanning

The way birds look around for predators to avoid being eaten.

Coordination in Scanning (Birds)

Birds in a group that scan for predators together, often in a circle, allowing better communication and safety.

Linear Bird Arrangement

A way birds are arranged in a line, where birds can only see and interact with the next bird in the adjacent space.

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Fear and Coordination (Birds in Lines)

Birds in lines are more likely to be afraid because they don't know what the other birds are doing and cannot easily see the entire flock for protection.

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Study Notes

Bird Behavior and Emotional Contagion

Birds exhibit emotional contagion, where one bird's alarm prompts others to flee, without assessing the threat.
Research on western evening grosbeaks shows coordinated anti-predatory scanning in clustered groups compared to linear groups.
Birds in a circle demonstrated more coordinated scanning behaviors, showing a greater ability to share information than those in a line.
Birds in linear feeding positions displayed more nervousness and frequent body/head adjustments as they lacked visibility of fellow flock members.
Limited visibility hinders emotional contagion in linear formations, as birds only have knowledge of those nearby.