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

The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison02:57

The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison

56.2K
According to Charles Cooley, we base our image on what we think other people see (Cooley 1902). We imagine how we must appear to others, then react to this speculation. We don certain clothes, prepare our hair in a particular manner, wear makeup, use cologne, and the like—all with the notion that our presentation of ourselves is going to affect how others perceive us. We expect a certain reaction, and, if lucky, we get the one we desire and feel good about it. But more than that, Cooley...
56.2K
Impact of Social Context on Individuals01:21

Impact of Social Context on Individuals

350
Social psychology examines how the real or imagined presence of others influences individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. A key concept in this field is the role of social context in shaping behavior. The same individual may act differently depending on the social setting, due to the varying expectations and norms associated with each environment. This context-dependent behavior illustrates the influence of social roles, which prescribe appropriate conduct in specific situations.Social...
350
Social Scripts02:10

Social Scripts

10.3K
People tend to know what behavior is expected of them in specific, familiar settings. A script is a person’s knowledge about the sequence of events expected in a specific setting (Schank & Abelson, 1977). Essentially, scripts are a particular kind of schema, one containing default values for the features within an event. In the restaurant example, the script's features include the props (e.g., tables, menu, food, and money), the roles to be played (e.g., customer and waiter),...
10.3K
Social Proof00:52

Social Proof

32.4K
Social proof is a form of persuasion based on comparison and conformity. People compare their behavior and actions to what others are doing and will change to conform to do what their peers do.
32.4K
Social Traps01:41

Social Traps

27.0K
Social traps are negative situations where people get caught in a direction or relationship that later proves to be unpleasant, with no easy way to back out of or avoid. The concept was orignally introduced by John Platt who applied psychology to Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons", where in New England herd owners could let their cattle graze in the common ground. This situation seems like a good idea, but an individual could have an advantage. If they owned...
27.0K
Social Facilitation01:04

Social Facilitation

36.6K
Not all intergroup interactions lead to negative outcomes. Sometimes, being in a group situation can improve performance. Social facilitation occurs when an individual performs better when an audience is watching than when the individual performs the behavior alone. This typically occurs when people are performing a task for which they are skilled.
36.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Cellular mechanisms regulating the timing of organizational effects of sex steroid hormones.

Hormones and behavior·2026
Same author

Humans share acoustic preferences with other animals.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Leveraging nature's experiments: David Crews' legacy in behavioral neuroendocrinology.

Hormones and behavior·2026
Same author

Dynamic vocal and behavioural contingencies vary between learning and courtship interactions in zebra finches.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same author

Critical Periods and Beyond: Dynamic Functions of Perineuronal Nets in Cognition, Development, and Disease.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2025
Same author

Temporal organization of song modulates vocal learning.

iScience·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 13, 2026

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
11:13

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test

Published on: November 19, 2015

14.5K

Ability to modulate birdsong across social contexts develops without imitative social learning.

Logan S James1, Jennifer B Dai2, Jon T Sakata3,4

  • 1Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1 logansmithjames@gmail.com.

Biology Letters
|March 16, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Social learning shapes many behaviors, like songbird courtship songs. However, male zebra finches can adjust their songs based on social context without needing to imitate others during development.

Keywords:
behavioural developmentcourtshipsongbirdvocal controlvocal flexibilityzebra finch

More Related Videos

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device ALDM Test Systems
08:42

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device ALDM Test Systems

Published on: May 5, 2015

12.6K
Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

35.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 13, 2026

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
11:13

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test

Published on: November 19, 2015

14.5K
Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device ALDM Test Systems
08:42

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device ALDM Test Systems

Published on: May 5, 2015

12.6K
Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

35.5K

Area of Science:

  • Animal behavior
  • Neuroscience
  • Bioacoustics

Background:

  • Social learning is crucial for developing complex behaviors, including songbird courtship songs.
  • Songbirds learn vocalizations by interacting with conspecifics during sensitive developmental periods.
  • Vocal flexibility allows signallers to modify songs based on social context, but the role of imitative learning is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether vocal flexibility in songbirds requires imitative social learning.
  • To determine if male zebra finches can modulate song structure based on social context without observing tutor modulations.

Main Methods:

  • Studied male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) development.
  • Compared song modulations in birds with and without exposure to context-dependent song modulations during tutoring.
  • Assessed the degree of song modulation in relation to observed tutoring.

Main Results:

  • Male zebra finches not exposed to context-dependent song modulations still significantly modulated their songs.
  • The extent of song modulation was comparable between birds that could and could not observe modulations during tutoring.
  • These findings indicate vocal flexibility develops independently of imitative social learning in this species.

Conclusions:

  • Vocal flexibility in song structure develops without the necessity of imitative social learning in male zebra finches.
  • This suggests alternative developmental pathways for acquiring context-dependent vocal adjustments.