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Related Concept Videos

Fixed Action Patterns01:06

Fixed Action Patterns

A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.
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Types of Selection

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton
08:02

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton

Published on: May 7, 2016

Conformist learning in nine-spined sticklebacks' foraging decisions.

Thomas W Pike1, Kevin N Laland

  • 1School of Biology, St Andrews University, St Andrews, UK.

Biology Letters
|February 5, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Nine-spined sticklebacks exhibit conformist social learning, copying the majority

Area of Science:

  • Animal behavior
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Social learning

Background:

  • Theoretical models predict conformity in social learning when natural selection favors it.
  • Empirical evidence for conformist social learning in animals is surprisingly scarce.
  • Understanding social learning strategies is crucial for evolutionary biology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate conformist social learning in nine-spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius).
  • To determine if fish copy the majority strategy when learning foraging locations.
  • To differentiate between social learning and simple social attraction.

Main Methods:

  • Nine-spined sticklebacks were exposed to demonstrators at two food patches (rich and poor).
  • The number of demonstrators at each patch was manipulated during a demonstration phase.

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Boldness, Aggression, and Shoaling Assays for Zebrafish Behavioral Syndromes

Published on: August 29, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton
08:02

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton

Published on: May 7, 2016

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks
08:51

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Published on: May 13, 2016

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08:43

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Published on: August 29, 2016

  • Focal fish choices were recorded to assess copying behavior.
  • Control experiments used non-feeding demonstrators to rule out simple shoaling preferences.

    • Main Results:

    • Copying behavior increased significantly with the number of demonstrators at the richer feeder.
    • Copying increased disproportionately with the proportion of demonstrators at the rich patch.
    • Results were not explained by a preference for larger groups, indicating true social learning.

    Conclusions:

    • Nine-spined sticklebacks demonstrate conformist social learning, adopting a copy-the-majority strategy.
    • This finding supports theoretical predictions linking natural selection and conformity in social learning.
    • The study provides strong empirical evidence for conformist learning in a fish species.