Abstract
In this article, I review the approach taken by behavioral ecologists to the study of animal foraging behavior and explore connections with general analyses of decision making. I use the example of patch exploitation decisions in this article in order to develop several key points about the properties of naturally occurring foraging decisions. First, I argue that experimental preparations based on binary, mutually exclusive choice are not good models of foraging decisions. Instead, foraging choices have a sequential foreground-background structure, in which one option is in the background of all other options. Second, behavioral ecologists view foraging as a hierarchy of decisions that range from habitat selection to food choice. Finally, data suggest that foraging animals are sensitive to several important trade-offs. These trade-offs include the effects of competitors and group mates, as well as the problem of predator avoidance.
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Stephens, D.W. Decision ecology: Foraging and the ecology of animal decision making. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience 8, 475–484 (2008). https://doi.org/10.3758/CABN.8.4.475
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/CABN.8.4.475