Data set from: Inferential reasoning in wild bumblebees
Data files
May 31, 2024 version files 59.48 KB
Abstract
The ability to make a decision by excluding alternatives (i.e., inferential reasoning) is a type of logical reasoning that allows organisms to solve problems with incomplete information. Several species of vertebrates have been shown to find hidden food using inferential reasoning abilities. Yet little is known about invertebrates’ logical reasoning capabilities. In three Experiments, I examined wild-caught bumblebees’ abilities to locate a “rewarded” stimulus using direct information or incomplete information—the latter requiring bees to use inferential reasoning. To do so, I adapted 3 paradigms previously used with primates—the two-cup, three-cup, and double 2-cup tasks. Bumblebees saw either 2 paper strips (Experiment 1), 3 paper strips (Experiment 2), or 2 pairs of paper strips (Experiment 3) and experienced one of them being rewarded or unrewarded. At test, they could choose between 2 (Experiment 1), 3 (Experiment 2), or 4 paper strips (Experiment 3). Bumblebees succeeded in the three tasks and their performance was consistent with inferential reasoning. These findings highlight the importance of comparative studies with invertebrates to comprehensively track the evolution of reasoning abilities, in particular, and cognition, in general.
README: Martin-Ordas_Inferential reasoning
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.cjsxksnf2
This is the dataset for the series of experiments testing inferential reasoning in wild caught bumblebees. There are 4 files:
(1) Martin-Ordas_Inferential Reasoning_data.xlsx
an excel file containing the raw data for each of the 3 experiments. Sheet 1 contains the data for Experiment 1 (labelled as "Two strip" paradigm); sheet 2 contains the data for Experiment 2 (labelled as "Three strip" paradigm); Sheet 3 contains the data for Experiment 3 (labelled as "Double 2-strip" paradigm)
(2) Experiment 1
a folder containing the data for the analyses of Experiment 1 as well as the R code.
Experiment1_data.csv contains the following variables: Subject number, the trial number, the experimental condition (1=Direct cue; 0=Exclusion cue) and individuals responses (1=correct; 0=incorrect)
Experiment1indiv_data.csv contains the following variables: Subject number, % correct responses in the Direct cue condition, % correct responses in Exclusion cue condition, chance level set at 50%
(3) Experiment 2
a folder containing the data for the analyses of Experiment 2 as well as the R code.
Experiment2_data.csv contains the following variables: Subject number, experimental condition (1=Direct cue; 0=Exclusion cue) and individuals responses (1=correct; 0=incorrect).
Experiment2control_data.csv includes the following variables: Subject number, location_ (the location of reward as Left, Middle or Right--L, M, R), position of the reward (position) as L=1, M=2, R=3, subjects' choice, Choice_, as Left, Middle or Right (L, M, R) and choice coded as correct=1 and incorrect=0. In this file three individuals did not complete all the control trials, as such the cells were left blank
Experiment2indiv_data.csv contains the following variables: Subject number,% correct responses in Exclusion cue condition, % correct responses in the Direct cue condition, exclusion_c (chance level for exclusion condition set at 33.33%), direct_c (chance level for direct condition set at 50%)
(4) Experiment 3
Experiment3indiv_data.csv contains the following variables: Subject number,% correct responses in Exclusion cue condition, and exclusion_c (chance level for exclusion condition set at 50%)
This directory contains the data and R code required to reproduce analyses reported in the associated paper.