Mirror-Image Stimulation Applied to Field Behavioral Studies

Abstract

Twenty-nine adult and yearling marmots were exposed to mirror-image stimulation. Marmots interacted intensely with their image, and the frequency of occuranaces of 22 behaviors was recorded. The four factors extracted from the behavioral data by factor analysis accounted for 88% of the total variance. Three factors were interpretable and designated "approach," "avoidance," and "sociability." Behavioral patterns were stable over time and repeatable. A plot of "avoidance" against "sociability" provides a visualization of the numerical behavioral profile of each animal which is consistent with the interpretable in terms of behavioral patterns observed in the field.