Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
09:37
Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
Published on: July 5, 2015
Selective attention as a contributor to negative frequency dependent selection in predator-prey interactions.
1Department of Psychology, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA, USA.
Summary
Selective attention influences predator-prey dynamics. Prey morphs rare to predator search images benefit from rarity, potentially exploiting predator attentional limitations.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Negative frequency dependent selection (NFDS) is crucial in predator-prey interactions.
- Predator search image formation is a key mechanism influencing prey survival.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of selective attention in NFDS within predator-prey systems.
- To connect human cognitive psychology findings on attention to predator search image use.
Main Methods:
- Review of human cognitive psychology research on selective attention.
- Theoretical integration of attention limitations (divided attention, conjunction searches, change blindness) with predator search image theory.
Main Results:
- Selective attention limitations, such as change blindness, may enhance the survival advantage of rare prey morphs.
- Predators' use of search images can be constrained by attentional limitations.
Conclusions:
- Selective attention is a significant factor contributing to NFDS in predator-prey interactions.
- Prey species may evolve behaviors to exploit predator attentional weaknesses.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.Positive Frequency-Dependent SelectionIn positive...
01:46Types of Selection
Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
02:39Predator-Prey Interactions
Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.Although predation is commonly associated with carnivory, for...
01:06Natural Selection and Mating Preferences
The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing, inherently...
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing, inherently...
01:28Microbial Interactions: Predation
Microbial predation refers to the process by which one microorganism kills and consumes another to obtain nutrients and energy. It encompasses both bacterial and protozoan predators. This interaction plays a crucial role in shaping microbial communities and regulating nutrient cycling.Bacterial Predators: Epibiotic vs. EndobioticBacterial predators are classified based on their mode of attack as either epibiotic or endobiotic. Epibiotic predators, such as Vampirococcus, attach to the surface of...
01:38Limits to Natural Selection
Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.For one, natural selection can only act upon existing genetic variation. Hypothetically, redtusks may enhance elephant survival by deterring ivory-seeking poachers. However, if there are no gene variants—or alleles—for redtusks, natural selection cannot increase the prevalence of...