Influence of social relationships on food transmission in rats

Abstract

A naive rat (an observer) that interacts with a recently fed conspecific (a demonstrator) subsequently exhibits an enhanced preference for whatever food its demonstrator ate. In the present study, we investigated the effects of relationships between demonstrators and observers on the social induction of food preferences. Observer rats were exposed to two demonstrators that had just eaten different foods having flavors unfamiliar to observers, then subsequent preferences by the observers for these foods were tested in a choice situation. Observers preferred foods transmitted by unfamiliar demonstrators to those transmitted by familiar demonstrators and foods transmitted by subordinate demonstrators to those transmitted by dominant demonstrators. These differences were not due to differences in the duration of physical interactions between demonstrators and observers. Both observed preferences seem to be adaptive to the rats; the first one works to broaden the diet and the second one reduces potential costs of obtaining food. ER -