The effect of experience on collective decision-making

Area of Science:

• Animal behavior
• Collective intelligence
• Social decision-making

Background:

• Social groups can enhance task performance through collective experience.
• Understanding the mechanisms of collective improvement is crucial for various biological and artificial systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how experience influences collective decision-making speed and proficiency in acorn ants (Temnothorax ambiguus).
• To explore the underlying social network mechanisms contributing to collective improvement in decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Acorn ant colonies underwent a six-emigration training phase with either choice or no-choice nest selection.
• Collective decision-making was assessed by observing nest choice speed and proficiency.
• Social network analysis quantified network density and workload distribution during emigrations.

Main Results:

• Experience significantly improved decision-making speed in acorn ant colonies, irrespective of the training treatment.
• Colonies with prior choice experience showed higher proficiency in directing individuals to better nests.
• No steady improvement in proficiency was observed during training, and social network metrics remained stable.

Conclusions:

• Collective experience enhances decision-making speed and proficiency in house-hunting ants.
• The precise mechanisms driving collective improvement in decision-making require further investigation.
• Continued research on ant colony behavior can elucidate fundamental principles of collective intelligence.