Perception of signals under varying conditions: implications of proportional processing of signal magnitude for signal design

Información del proyecto

CATPERCCOL

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: 793454

DOI

10.3030/793454

Proyecto finalizado el 30 Junio 2021

Fecha de la firma de la CE 28 Agosto 2018

Fecha de inicio 15 Agosto 2019

Fecha de finalización 14 Agosto 2021

Financiado con arreglo a

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Coste total

€ 183 454,80

Aportación de la UE

€ 183 454,80

Coordinado por

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
United Kingdom

Objetivo

Individuals evaluate one another during interactions using assessment signals that indicate quality, and these signals vary across individuals, reflecting variation in signaler quality. For example, green swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) females assess the length of an extended caudal fin (known as a sword) on males, which ranges in length from 10-70mm in nature, during mate choice, and males evaluate one another’s swords during agonistic encounters. Models of signal evolution implicitly assume that signals are perceived continuously, meaning that each change in signal magnitude is both perceived by the receiver and results in a concomitant change in receiver response. Increasing evidence, however, shows that signals across modalities, from acoustic signals to color-based visual signals, can be perceived discontinuously. One mechanism by which stimuli can be perceived discontinuously is called proportional processing, which follows Weber’s law. Under proportional processing, a viewer can more readily discriminate between two stimuli that differ by a certain amount when both of those stimuli are of low magnitude, compared with two stimuli that differ by the same amount but are both high magnitude. Although proportional processing has been shown to operate across a variety of taxa and modalities, no study has yet tested for proportional processing of a visual signal. This project will (1) test whether signal magnitude, i.e. male sword length, is perceived continuously or proportionally by female and male swordtails; (2) assess how perception of stimulus magnitude is affected by variation in environmental conditions, by manipulating both the visual and auditory environment; (3) compare perception of signal-relevant (bars) and signal-irrelevant (circles) stimuli, between a swordtail species that exhibits sexual dimorphism in sword length (X. helleri) with one that does not (X. maculatus), to examine the evolution of perceptual processes; and (4) compare perception of the signal magnitude in swordtails with existing data on length perception in a variety of taxa (including humans), to examine the generality of proportional processing of length across species, and how perception differs between species with very different visual acuities (ability to perceive detail) and signaling behaviours. This project will be the first to examine proportional processing of a visual signaling trait in any non-human animal and will provide the first tests of how viewing conditions and multi-modal stimuli impact perception of signal magnitude in non-primates. By combining my expertise in different mechanisms of discontinuous perception with the expertise of Dr Kelley at Exeter, which spans animal behavior, acoustic signaling, and perceptual processing, we will (1) provide novel insights into the relationship between signal design, behaviour, and environment, (2) increase our understanding of how vision and higher-level perceptual processes interact in the perceptual organisation of stimuli, and (3) provide invaluable training in managing a large project at the forefront of perception research, thus opening a host of career and collaborative opportunities.

Ámbito científico (EuroSciVoc)

• ciencias naturales › ciencias biológicas › ciencias biológicas del comportamiento › etología
• ciencias sociales › derecho

Palabras clave

• Visual Ecology
• Receiver Psychology
• Animal Signaling

Programa(s)

• H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions PROGRAMA PRINCIPAL
  
• H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
  

Tema(s)

• MSCA-IF-2017 - Individual Fellowships
  

Régimen de financiación

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

Convocatoria de propuestas

H2020-MSCA-IF-2017

Coordinador

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

• Aportación neta de la UEn: € 183 454,80
• Dirección: THE QUEEN'S DRIVE NORTHCOTE HOUSE ; EX4 4QJ Exeter ; Reino Unido
• Región: South West (England) › Devon › Devon CC
• Tipo de actividad: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Coste total: € 183 454,80