Mapping animal performance in a behavioural task to underlying cognitive mechanisms and strategies is rarely straightforward, since a task may be solvable in more than one manner. Here, we show that bumblebees perform well on a concept-based visual discrimination task, but spontaneously switch from a concept-based solution to a simpler heuristic with extended training, all while continually increasing performance. Bumblebees were trained in an arena to find reward on displays with shapes of different sizes where they could not use low-level visual cues. One group of bees was rewarded at displays with bigger shapes and another group at displays with smaller shapes. Analysis of total choices shows bees increased their performance over 30 bouts to above chance. However, analyses of first and sequential choices suggest that after approximately 20 bouts, bumblebees changed to a win-stay/lose-switch strategy. Comparing bees’ behaviour to a probabilistic model based on a win-stay/lose-switch strategy further supports the idea that bees changed strategies with extensive training. Analyses of unrewarded tests indicate bumblebees learned and retained the concept of relative size even after they had already switched to a win-stay, lost-shift strategy. We propose that the reason for this strategy switching may be due to cognitive flexibility and efficiency.

中文翻译：

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大黄蜂学会了相关规则，但经过大量训练后转而采用了“保持/失败切换”启发式方法

将行为任务中的动物表现映射到基本的认知机制和策略很少会很简单，因为任务可以以多种方式解决。在这里，我们显示了大黄蜂在基于概念的视觉识别任务中表现良好，但是在不断提高性能的同时，自发地从基于概念的解决方案转换为具有扩展训练的更简单的启发式方法。大黄蜂在舞台上接受训练，可以在形状各异的显示器上找到奖励，而他们不能使用低级的视觉提示。一组蜜蜂在形状较大的展示架上获得奖励，另一组蜜蜂在形状较小的展示架上获得奖励。对总选择的分析表明，蜜蜂在超过30次回合后的表现提高了几率。然而，对第一手选择和顺序选择的分析表明，大约经过20次搏击后，大黄蜂改变为双赢/输赢策略。将蜜蜂的行为与基于获胜-失败/失败切换策略的概率模型进行比较，进一步支持了蜜蜂经过大量培训而改变策略的想法。对未获奖励的测试的分析表明，大黄蜂已经学会并保留了相对大小的概念，即使它们已经转为制胜法宝，错位转移策略。我们建议这种策略切换的原因可能是由于认知的灵活性和效率。对未获奖励的测试的分析表明，大黄蜂已经学会并保留了相对大小的概念，即使它们已经转为制胜法宝，错位转移策略。我们建议这种策略切换的原因可能是由于认知的灵活性和效率。对未获奖励的测试的分析表明，大黄蜂已经学会并保留了相对大小的概念，即使它们已经转为制胜法宝，错失班次的策略。我们建议这种策略切换的原因可能是由于认知的灵活性和效率。