Date of Graduation
Spring 5-20-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Psychology
Thesis Chair
Dr. Alan Daniel
Recommended Citation
Guadarrama, Citlalli, "Honey Bee & Reward Loss: A Deep Dive Into the Alarm Pheromone" (2025). Masters Theses. 45.
https://digitalcommons.tamusa.edu/masters_theses/45
Comments
Loss, especially reward loss, has been a topic studied extensively in humans as well as other mammals. Previous studies have shown several species of mammals reject a reward if they have previously been exposed to a more rewarding condition. In animal studies, downshifting their reward is known as incentive contrast (IC) and though there is extensive research on vertebrates, not many studies have been performed on invertebrates. Therefore, the present study sought out to observe reward loss in the invertebrate, Apis mellifera (honey bee). We looked at the Proboscis Exposure Response (PER) in honey bees by subjecting them to a classical conditioning scenario involving the exposure to sucrose (unconditioned stimulus) and an odor (conditioned stimulus). Forager bees were divided into four groups and were put through acquisition and extinction training. At the conclusion of this study, we have increased our knowledge about the bee alarm pheromone and the role that it plays in reward loss.