Pain expressiveness and altruistic behavior: an exploration using agent-based modeling.

ABSTRACT: Predictions which invoke evolutionary mechanisms are hard to test. Agent-based modeling in artificial life offers a way to simulate behaviors and interactions in specific physical or social environments over many generations. The outcomes have implications for understanding adaptive value of behaviors in context. Pain-related behavior in animals is communicated to other animals that might protect or help, or might exploit or predate. An agent-based model simulated the effects of displaying or not displaying pain (expresser/nonexpresser strategies) when injured and of helping, ignoring, or exploiting another in pain (altruistic/nonaltruistic/selfish strategies). Agents modeled in MATLAB interacted at random while foraging (gaining energy); random injury interrupted foraging for a fixed time

SUBMITTER: de C Williams AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4751745 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature