Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory01:26

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

2.1K
Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or...
2.1K
Cell Size01:22

Cell Size

132.5K
Cell sizes vary widely among and within organisms. Bacterial cells range between 1-10 micrometers (μm)and are considerably smaller than most eukaryotic cells. The smallest bacteria are 0.1 μm in diameter—about a thousand times smaller than eukaryotic cells, which typically range from 10-100 μm.
Surface Area
Cells can take in nutrients and water via diffusion through the plasma membrane itself or through specific channels in the membrane. The area of the membrane surrounding...
132.5K
Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness01:14

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

2.7K
Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
2.7K
Reversible and Irreversible Processes01:14

Reversible and Irreversible Processes

5.9K
The thermodynamic processes can be classified into reversible and irreversible processes. The processes that can be restored to their initial state are called reversible processes. It is only possible if the process is in quasi-static equilibrium, i.e., it takes place in infinitesimally small steps, and the system remains at equilibrium However, these are ideal processes and do not occur naturally. An ideal system undergoing a reversible process is always in thermodynamic equilibrium within...
5.9K
Diode: Reverse bias01:14

Diode: Reverse bias

2.1K
A diode is reverse-biased when the positive terminal of an external voltage source is connected to the n-type material and the negative terminal to the p-type material. This configuration opposes the natural direction of current flow through the diode, effectively increasing the width of the depletion region and the barrier potential. The reverse bias condition produces a minimal leakage current, primarily due to minority charge carriers. This leakage becomes significant when the reverse...
2.1K
Associative Learning01:27

Associative Learning

1.5K
Associative learning is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology, wherein a connection is established between two stimuli or events, leading to a learned response. This process is critical in understanding how behaviors are acquired and modified. Conditioning, the mechanism through which associations are formed, can be divided into two main types: classical conditioning and operant conditioning, each elucidating different aspects of associative learning.
Classical conditioning, also known...
1.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Streaming for fish? Screen-based social exposure disrupts brain development.

Biology letters·2026
Same author

The Impacts of Pregnancy on Cognition and Cell Proliferation in a Live-Bearing Fish (Poeciliopsis gracilis).

The European journal of neuroscience·2026
Same author

Predation selection impacts social information use in guppies (<i>Poecilia reticulata</i>).

Behavioral ecology : official journal of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology·2026
Same author

The evolution of eyespots in skates and rays.

Nature ecology & evolution·2026
Same author

Inbreeding strategies under social and sexual complexity: insights from female and male guppies.

Behavioral ecology : official journal of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology·2026
Same author

Cognitive advantages of large brains persist during an experimental heatwave.

Biology letters·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Coherence between Brain Cortical Function and Neurocognitive Performance during Changed Gravity Conditions
12:29

Coherence between Brain Cortical Function and Neurocognitive Performance during Changed Gravity Conditions

Published on: May 23, 2011

20.1K

Brain size affects performance in a reversal-learning test.

Séverine D Buechel1, Annika Boussard2, Alexander Kotrschal2

  • 1Department of Zoology/Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden severine.buechel@zoologi.su.se.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|January 26, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Larger brains in guppies enhance cognitive flexibility, not basic learning. This suggests brain size benefits complex cognition, aiding adaptation to environmental challenges.

Keywords:
Poecilia reticulataassociative learningbehavioural flexibilitybrain evolutioncognitioncolour discrimination

More Related Videos

P300-Based Brain-Computer Interface Speller Performance Estimation with Classifier-Based Latency Estimation
06:09

P300-Based Brain-Computer Interface Speller Performance Estimation with Classifier-Based Latency Estimation

Published on: September 8, 2023

972
Inter-Brain Synchrony in Open-Ended Collaborative Learning: An fNIRS-Hyperscanning Study
04:44

Inter-Brain Synchrony in Open-Ended Collaborative Learning: An fNIRS-Hyperscanning Study

Published on: July 21, 2021

5.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Coherence between Brain Cortical Function and Neurocognitive Performance during Changed Gravity Conditions
12:29

Coherence between Brain Cortical Function and Neurocognitive Performance during Changed Gravity Conditions

Published on: May 23, 2011

20.1K
P300-Based Brain-Computer Interface Speller Performance Estimation with Classifier-Based Latency Estimation
06:09

P300-Based Brain-Computer Interface Speller Performance Estimation with Classifier-Based Latency Estimation

Published on: September 8, 2023

972
Inter-Brain Synchrony in Open-Ended Collaborative Learning: An fNIRS-Hyperscanning Study
04:44

Inter-Brain Synchrony in Open-Ended Collaborative Learning: An fNIRS-Hyperscanning Study

Published on: July 21, 2021

5.0K

Area of Science:

  • Comparative cognition
  • Neuroscience
  • Evolutionary biology

Background:

  • Brain size is linked to cognitive abilities, but its impact varies across different cognitive tasks.
  • Basic cognitive functions like color vision may not be influenced by brain size.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between brain size and cognitive complexity in female guppies (Poecilia reticulata).
  • To test the hypothesis that larger brains provide advantages for more complex cognitive tasks.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized brain size-selected female guppies for behavioral experiments.
  • Employed a reversal-learning paradigm, including a color discrimination test for basic learning and a reversal phase for cognitive flexibility.

Main Results:

  • Large-brained guppies did not differ from small-brained guppies in the color discrimination task (basic learning).
  • Large-brained guppies demonstrated superior performance in the reversal-learning task, indicating enhanced cognitive flexibility.

Conclusions:

  • Cognitive flexibility, a more complex cognitive trait, is positively associated with larger brain size in guppies.
  • Increased brain size may offer fitness benefits by enabling faster adaptation to changing social and ecological conditions.
  • The study supports the idea that brain size becomes particularly advantageous with increasing cognitive complexity.