Effect of resource-associated signals on producer responses: Insights from golden fish (Carassius auratus) and an agent-based model.

In social foraging situations, some group members actively engage in behaviors associated with searching for patch zones (produce), while others join previously discovered patch zones (scrounge). Pavlovian conditioning enables individuals to anticipate a biologically significant event or unconditioned stimulus, such as resource availability, when paired with another event, such as a blue light, also known as a conditioned stimulus (CS). Considering that individuals' prior experiences with habitat features may influence their preference for producer or scrounger responses, this study aims to assess the impact of resource-associated signals on the group produce index.