Animal signals: information or manipulation?

By Richard Dawkins, J. Krebs. 1978

Subfields: Cognitive Science & Psychology

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In Cognitive Science & Psychology

Citations in the corpus

Alignment of Language Agents (2021, background): “It has been suggested that communication systems in animals, including language in humans, evolved primarily for the function of deception (Dawkins and Krebs, 1978; Krebs, 1984; Scott-Phillips, 2006).”
Human Emotions: An Evolutionary Psychological Perspective (2016, background): “Animal signals are best conceptualized as adaptations designed to influence and manipulate other organisms, rather than as purely veridical messages (Dawkins & Krebs, 1978; Krebs & Dawkins, 1984).”
Smiles when sharing (2007, background): “Open smiles could therefore influence a receiver's positive feelings, a finding that supports the claim that social signals could work by modifying the receiver's internal state (Dawkins & Krebs, 1978; Owren & Bachorowski, 2003).”
Mutual ornamentation, sexual selection, and social dominance in the black swan (2004, background): “Such signals allow dominant individuals access to resources, while minimizing their aggressive interactions with subordinate individuals (Dawkins and Krebs, 1978; Rohwer, 1975; Rohwer and Rohwer, 1978).”
Assessing the function of house sparrows' bib size using a flexible meta-analysis method (2007, background): “The bestdocumented association is that between dominance hierarchy and bib size (e.g., Moller 1987a, 1987b; Liker and Barta 2001; Gonzalez et al. 2002; see Table 1). Therefore, the bib is often referred to as a ‘‘badge of status’’ or just a ‘‘badge’’ ( Dawkins and Krebs 1978 ).”
Deception as a Derived Function of Language (2016, background): “For example, in one well-documented case, a chimpanzee was approached from the rear by a noisily heard aggressive challenger: to conceal his fearful expression, the chimpanzee affected his lips and face in such a way as to rid himself of the fear grin, before turning to face his competitor (deWaal,…”
Trust in Testimony: Children's Use of True and False Statements (2004, background): “Evolutionary biologists have emphasized the deceptive ploys that are likely to emerge in animal signaling systems (Dawkins & Krebs, 1978).”
Reasoning is for Arguing: Understanding the Successes and Failures of Deliberation (2012, background): “However, being able to communicate comes at the cost of an ever present danger of manipulation (Dawkins & Krebs, 1978; Krebs & Dawkins, 1984).”
Facial and vocal expressions of emotion. (2003, background): “Modern theory instead emphasizes natural selection, the interests of the individual, adaptation, and function (Dawkins & Krebs 1978, Fridlund 1994, Owren & Rendall 2001).”
Reliability and the value of information (2004, unknown): “…to be perfect, there will still be selection to distinguish between reliable and unreliable information to avoid the payoff associated with a misinformed response, possibly leading to an arms race between information consumers and deceptive signallers (Dawkins & Krebs 1978; Krebs & Dawkins 1984).”
The Basis of Epistemic Trust: Reliable Testimony or Reliable Sources? (2007, background): “On the other hand, the risk of deception and the cost of accepting false information is the same for all learners (Dawkins & Krebs 1978).”
The timing of chemical signaling with urine in dominance fights of male lobsters (Homarus americanus) (2000, unknown): “Pheromones, defined here as chemical compounds evolved for the specific “purpose” of communication, would allow receiver exploitation ( Dawkins and Krebs 1978 ) and cheating unless they were costly (“handicap”: Grafen 1990; Zahavi and Zahavi 1997; “cost-added”: Maynard Smith and Harper 1995) or addi”
The Evolution of Language: A Comparative Review (2005, unknown): “This is because the ubiquity of conflicting interests tends to either select for exaggeration in signalers (and in turn to perceivers ignoring their signals (Dawkins and Krebs 1978)) or to a few expensive, energetically wasteful displays with fixed meanings (Zahavi 1975; Grafen 1990).”
Dietary amino acids influence plumage traits and immune responses of male house sparrows, Passer domesticus, but not as expected (2005, background): “Andersson 1982). If a trait is to serve as a signal, it must retain useful information for receivers despite selection favouring dishonesty by signallers ( Dawkins & Krebs 1978; Wiley 1983).”