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

Social Loafing01:37

Social Loafing

35.1K
Another way in which a group presence can affect performance is social loafing—the exertion of less effort by a person working together with a group. Social loafing occurs when our individual performance cannot be evaluated separately from the group. Thus, group performance declines on easy tasks (Karau & Williams, 1993). Essentially individual group members loaf and let other group members pick up the slack. Because each individual’s efforts cannot be evaluated,...
35.1K
Social Exchange Theory02:06

Social Exchange Theory

34.7K
We have discussed why we form relationships, what attracts us to others, and different types of love. But what determines whether we are satisfied with and stay in a relationship? One theory that provides an explanation is social exchange theory. According to social exchange theory, we act as naïve economists in keeping a tally of the ratio of costs and benefits of forming and maintaining a relationship with others (Rusbult & Van Lange, 2003).
34.7K
Social Traps01:41

Social Traps

22.5K
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...
22.5K
Principle of Virtual Work: Problem Solving01:13

Principle of Virtual Work: Problem Solving

1.3K
The principle of virtual work is an essential concept in the field of mechanics and engineering. This is used to solve problems related to the equilibrium of a structure or system. It is based on the assumption that if a system is in equilibrium, the work done by all the forces during a virtual displacement is zero. This principle is applied by considering virtual displacements of the system and the corresponding work done by internal and external forces.
To apply the principle of virtual work,...
1.3K
Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Individual and Population Analysis01:23

Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Individual and Population Analysis

74
Mechanistic models are utilized in individual analysis using single-source data, but imperfections arise due to data collection errors, preventing perfect prediction of observed data. The mathematical equation involves known values (Xi), observed concentrations (Ci), measurement errors (εi), model parameters (ϕj), and the related function (ƒi) for i number of values. Different least-squares metrics quantify differences between predicted and observed values. The ordinary least...
74
Quantifying Work02:30

Quantifying Work

20.9K
As a system undergoes a change, its internal energy can change, and energy can be transferred from the system to the surroundings, or from the surroundings to the system. 
20.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Hydrazine Adsorption on Hexagonal Ice (0001): First-Principles Investigations on Stability, Dynamics, and Chirality Changes.

Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry·2026
Same author

Recovery of Monoethanolammonium Acetate from Ionosolv Liquors Using a γ-Valerolactone-Based Aqueous Two-Phase System.

ChemSusChem·2026
Same author

Molecular Dioxygen-Mediated Passivation of Electron Traps in n-Type Organic Charge-Transfer Complexes.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Controlling the Flow of Charges across Phthalocyanine@Transition-Metal Dichalcogenide Interfaces.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Revealing the Intricate Structure of Surface Phases of Methanol on In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>(111).

The journal of physical chemistry. C, Nanomaterials and interfaces·2026
Same author

Multidirectional Charge Separation in Self-Assembled Aggregates of Perylenebisimide-Porphyrin Bola-Supra-Amphiphiles.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same journal

RNA-ligand complexes and the attenuation of neutral confinement in the evolution of RNA secondary structures.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Individual detachment-reintegration events in homing pigeon flocks and the dominance of directional adjustment in their kinematic features.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Thermal stress disrupts symbiotic fluid dynamics in bobtail squid.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Distinct geometrical landscapes distinguish between modes of tristability in gene regulatory networks.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Slow modulation of the contraction patterns in Physarum polycephalum.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Moo-ving mountains: grazing agents drive terracette formation on steep hillslopes.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2025

The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior
06:48

The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior

Published on: January 19, 2019

9.4K

Explaining workers' inactivity in social colonies from first principles.

Moein Khajehnejad1, Julian García1, Bernd Meyer1

  • 1Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
|January 3, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Social insects exhibit inactive workers, often termed lazy workers. A new mathematical model reveals this inactivity can be a byproduct of task allocation, not an adaptive trait.

Keywords:
evolutionary game theorylazy workerssocial colonysocial insectstask allocation

More Related Videos

Obtaining Specimens with Slowed, Accelerated and Reversed Aging in the Honey Bee Model
10:58

Obtaining Specimens with Slowed, Accelerated and Reversed Aging in the Honey Bee Model

Published on: August 29, 2013

11.3K
Evaluation of the Productivity of Social Wasp Colonies Vespinae and an Introduction to the Traditional Japanese Vespula Wasp Hunting Technique
07:17

Evaluation of the Productivity of Social Wasp Colonies Vespinae and an Introduction to the Traditional Japanese Vespula Wasp Hunting Technique

Published on: September 11, 2019

8.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 15, 2025

The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior
06:48

The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior

Published on: January 19, 2019

9.4K
Obtaining Specimens with Slowed, Accelerated and Reversed Aging in the Honey Bee Model
10:58

Obtaining Specimens with Slowed, Accelerated and Reversed Aging in the Honey Bee Model

Published on: August 29, 2013

11.3K
Evaluation of the Productivity of Social Wasp Colonies Vespinae and an Introduction to the Traditional Japanese Vespula Wasp Hunting Technique
07:17

Evaluation of the Productivity of Social Wasp Colonies Vespinae and an Introduction to the Traditional Japanese Vespula Wasp Hunting Technique

Published on: September 11, 2019

8.5K

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Computational Biology
  • Social Systems

Background:

  • Social insects display remarkable ecological success attributed to efficient division of labor.
  • Colonies often contain a significant proportion of inactive workers, a phenomenon not fully explained by existing hypotheses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the emergence of inactive workers in social insect colonies using a mathematical model.
  • To test the hypothesis that inactivity can arise as a byproduct of task allocation processes.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a simple mathematical model incorporating social interactions and environmental influences.
  • Application of a game-theoretical framework to simulate individual behavioral responses to environmental conditions.
  • Analysis of task allocation dynamics and their impact on worker activity levels.

Main Results:

  • The model demonstrates that worker inactivity can emerge as a byproduct of task allocation under specific environmental conditions.
  • Inactive workers can be mobilized to compensate for worker loss, restoring homeostasis.
  • The model explains worker inactivity without requiring an adaptive function for the phenomenon.

Conclusions:

  • Worker inactivity in social insects can be explained parsimoniously as a byproduct of environmental and social dynamics.
  • This finding challenges traditional adaptive explanations for lazy workers in insect colonies.
  • The study highlights the utility of mathematical modeling in understanding complex social behaviors.