Bees are like us when making decisions

Most people think before making a decision, for bees as well.

According to a Nature paper, Israeli researchers have shown that when deciding, people and bees share a risky character with risky actions and not choose a safer solution while others Different consequences of decisions can be easily noticed. However, for cases where it is difficult to recognize the consequences, both humans and bees choose a safer solution even if the probability of success is in fact not changed.

The success of researchers at the Technion Institute of Israel, Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University has enlightened the mystery of why people tend to choose certain when it is difficult to predict the differences between potential results, for example, income earned by betting or financial investment.

50 students selected to conduct the survey. They have to make a decision to choose two unmarked computer keys. One key when pressed brings a 3-credit bonus with a 100% probability, while the other when pressed brings a 4-credit reward with a probability of 80% although participants only know about these rewards by trying and wrong when they appear on the screen. They are asked each person to make 400 decisions and tend to choose a more risky strategy when the reward is expressed by simple numbers (3 or 4 credits). The results are similar when the numbers 3 or 4 are replaced by easily distinguishable 30 or 60 dots. When numbers are replaced by groups of 30 or 40 dots, discrimination becomes much more difficult, participants turn to more certain results.

Most of us think before making decisions and so do bees.(Photo: iStockphoto / Amit Erez)

The researchers also gave honeybees the same test by using olfactory bulb and 2 sugar drops of 2 µl volume as a reward with different densities. They first experimented with bees with risky rewards and a safe idea with a 10% and 5% concentration of sugar solution. In the second experiment, the reward was more distinctive with 6.7% and 5%. And for the third experiment, both rewards were at 6.7% concentration. Honey bees must make 32 to choose between two odors, each one appearing twice in about 1 second in alternate order. Honey bees tend to choose risky strategies when their choices are easy to see, similar to ours.

According to Professor Ido Erev of Technion Industrial Engineering and Management Department, this study has some practical applications in value analysis for mandatory regulations at work. Research results show that:

- Constant and appropriate mandatory regulations are necessary because employees will tend to ignore risk if they have done so before without being disciplined.
- Employees may support mandatory regulations because they wanted to abide by many regulations (wearing goggles for example) but after they disobeyed.
- Strict punishment that is not enforced will always be ineffective, but appropriate rewards or penalties may work.

Erev said: 'The similarity in the reaction between people and bees proves that the decision-making process happened very early in evolutionary history. Research results show that this is a very basic phenomenon that exists in many different animals'.