Abstract
Eight adult Gymnotus carapo were used in an experiment designed to examine electrical and other behavioral interactions within 22 different pairings of animals. High scores on aggressive behavior were inversely related to the time spent in electrical silence. Approach and threat movement scores were positively correlated. Of particular interest in this study was the perfect positive correlation between electrical pulse frequency and subsequent display of threat movements in social encounters. In general the results confirmed a suggestion that dominance in this type of social grouping can be reliably predicted from the electrical characteristics of the interacting individuals.
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Westby, G.W.M., Box, H.O. Prediction of dominance in social groups of the electric fish, Gymnotus carapo . Psychon Sci 21, 181–183 (1970). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03331874
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03331874