Abstract

Consistent inter-individual variation in behaviour within a population, widely referred to as personality variation, can be affected by environmental context. Feedbacks between an individual’s behaviour and state can strengthen (positive feedback) or weaken (negative feedback) individual differences when experiences such as predator encounters or winning contests are dependent on behavioural type. We examined the influence of foraging on individual-level consistency in refuge use (a measure of risk-taking, i.e. boldness) in three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus, and particularly whether changes in refuge use depended on boldness measured under control conditions. In the control treatment trials with no food, individuals were repeatable in refuge use across repeated trials, and this behavioural consistency did not differ between the start and end of these trials. In contrast, when food was available, individuals showed a higher degree of consistency in refuge use at the start of the trials versus controls but this consistency significantly reduced by the end of the trials. The effect of the opportunity to forage was dependent on behavioural type, with bolder fish varying more in their refuge use between the start and the end of the feeding trials than shyer fish, and boldness positively predicted the likelihood of feeding at the start but not at the end of the trials. This suggests a state-behaviour feedback, but there was no overall trend in how bolder individuals changed their behaviour. Our study shows that personality variation can be suppressed in foraging contexts and a potential but unpredictable role of feedbacks between state and behaviour.

Significance statement

In this experimental study, we examined how foraging influences consistency in risk-taking in individual three-spined sticklebacks. We show that bolder individuals become less consistent in their risk-taking behaviour than shyer individuals during foraging. Some bolder individuals reinforce their risk-taking behaviour, suggesting a positive feedback between state and behaviour, while others converge on the behaviour of shyer individuals, suggesting a negative feedback. In support of a role of satiation in driving negative feedback effects, we found that bolder individuals were more likely to feed at the start but not at the end of the trials. Overall, our findings suggest that foraging can influence personality variation in risk-taking behaviour; however, the role of feedbacks may be unpredictable.

中文翻译：

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抑制三棘棘背觅食中大胆性格的人格差异

摘要

人群中行为的个体间一致变异（通常被称为人格变异）可能会受到环境因素的影响。当诸如掠食者遭遇或胜利竞赛之类的经验取决于行为类型时，个人行为与状态之间的反馈会增强（正反馈）或减弱（负反馈）个体差异。我们研究了觅食对三棘背le Gasterosteus aculeatus在避难所使用中个体水平一致性（一种冒险措施，即大胆程度）的影响。，尤其是避难所使用的变化是否取决于对照条件下测得的果敢程度。在没有食物的对照治疗试验中，个体在重复试验中的避难所使用中是可重复的，并且这种行为的一致性在这些试验的开始和结束之间没有差异。相反，当有食物时，个体在试验开始时与对照组相比在避难所使用上显示出较高的一致性，但这种一致性在试验结束时显着降低。觅食机会的影响取决于行为类型，在饲喂试验的开始和结束之间，大胆的鱼类在避难所中的变化要比sh鼠鱼大，而胆大的鱼类积极地预测了开始饲喂而不是在饲喂的可能性。试验结束。这暗示了一种状态行为的反馈，但是在更大胆的个人如何改变其行为方面并没有总体趋势。我们的研究表明，人格变异可以在觅食的环境中得到抑制，状态和行为之间的反馈具有潜在但不可预测的作用。

重要性声明

在这项实验研究中，我们研究了觅食如何影响单个三棘式棘背动物冒险行为的一致性。我们显示，在觅食过程中，胆大的人在冒险行为上变得不如胆大的人保持一致。一些胆大的人加强了冒险行为，表明状态与行为之间存在积极的反馈，而另一些人则趋向于害羞的人的行为，表明存在消极的反馈。为了支持饱食感在产生负面反馈效果方面的作用，我们发现，大胆的个体更有可能在试验开始时而不是试验结束时进食。总体而言，我们的研究结果表明，觅食会影响冒险行为中的人格变异。但是，反馈的作用可能是不可预测的。