Categorization of visual stimuli in the honeybee Apis mellifera.

Full Abstract

Categorization refers to the classification of perceptual input into defined functional groups. We present and discuss evidence suggesting that stimulus categorization can also be found in an invertebrate, the honeybee Apis mellifera, thus underlining the generality across species of this cognitive process. Honeybees show positive transfer of appropriate responding from a trained to a novel set of visual stimuli. Such a transfer was demonstrated for specific isolated features such as symmetry or orientation, but also for assemblies (layouts) of features. Although transfer from training to novel stimuli can be achieved by stimulus generalization of the training stimuli, most of these transfer tests involved clearly distinguishable stimuli for which generalization would be reduced. Though in most cases specific experimental controls such as stimulus balance and discriminability are still required, it seems appropriate to characterize the performance of honeybees as reflecting categorization. Further experiments should address the issue of which categorization theory accounts better for the visual performances of honeybees.

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Author information

Author/s: Benard, Julie (J); Stach, Silke (S); Giurfa, Martin (M);

Affiliation: Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (UMR 5169), CNRS - Université Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse cedex 4, France.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review

Journal: Animal cognition (Anim Cogn), published in Germany. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Oct; vol 9 (issue 4) : pp 257-70

Dates: Created 2006/10/17; Completed 2006/12/28;

PMID: 16909238, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Animals
Bees - physiology
Classification
Cognition - physiology
Discrimination Learning - physiology

Generalization, Stimulus - physiology
Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology
Photic Stimulation
Transfer (Psychology) - physiology
Visual Perception - physiology

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