PSYC 355 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Handicap Principle, Signalling Theory, Ethogram

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 355
• Professor: Valerie Ann Kuhlmeier

Document Summary

Examples of natural communication systems: bee waggle dance- tells bees there is a pollen source and its location, stotting in gazelles, chimps pant hooting when excited, play behavior between dogs, skunk fur colour pattern. Teaching chimps asl = not natural communication system. Receiver: mail carrier (anyone receiving the signal) Communication does not have to be active, does not have to be a behaviour, can be appearance/ colouration: aposematism, signals: red skin, sender: poison dart frog, receiver: potential predators, communication influencing behaviour. Sometimes a signaler has the intention of informing you- of teaching you a new concept: vervet monkey alarm calls: Playback experiments: pre-recorded calls were played (cid:271)a(cid:272)k fro(cid:373) (cid:272)o(cid:374)(cid:272)ealed speakers (whe(cid:374) there were(cid:374)(cid:859)t predators actually present) Does the signaller have the intention to inform: evolution of communication, communication as cooperation: Evolved because both signaller and receiver benefit: eg. Handicap principle: a costly trait can be an honest signal because only those who can develop the trait and survive will: eg.