一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn),，切胸蟻個體與整個群體在一個感知任務(wù)中的相對成績?nèi)Q于任務(wù)的困難程度?？蒲腥藛T長久以來就認識到了社會動物在進行以實現(xiàn)目標為中心的任務(wù)時所展示的群體智力的優(yōu)勢,。為了確定在某些情況下個體的見解是否會超過群體智力,，Takao Sasaki及其同事訓(xùn)練了以尋找巢穴技能聞名的切胸蟻，讓它們在兩個質(zhì)量條件不同的巢址中選擇更好的一個,，巢的質(zhì)量條件是由內(nèi)部亮度水平代表的,。這組作者報告說，不同的巢址選擇之間的定性差別是小的,，螞蟻群體更可能比螞蟻個體選擇兩個巢址中的更好的一個,。相比之下，當這些選擇的定性差異大的時候,，個體在選擇更好的地址上的表現(xiàn)超過了群體，這提示群體的智慧在困難的感知和區(qū)別任務(wù)上比簡單的任務(wù)更有優(yōu)勢,。這組作者使用一個數(shù)學(xué)模型發(fā)現(xiàn)了群體成員之間的正反饋可以幫助群體整合信息并且在需要感知微小差異的任務(wù)中超過個體的表現(xiàn)。然而,，這樣的一種反饋機制可能導(dǎo)致群體在執(zhí)行相對簡單的感知任務(wù)的時候做出次優(yōu)的選擇,。這組作者說,，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)可能幫助確定選擇性使用個體判斷和集體決策的情況,。（生物谷 Bioon.com）

原文標題：群體智慧接受檢驗

生物谷推薦的英文摘要

PNAS  doi: 10.1073/pnas.1304917110

Ant colonies outperform individuals when a sensory discrimination task is difficult but not when it is easy

Takao Sasakia,1, Boris Granovskiyb, Richard P. Mannb, David J. T. Sumpterb, and Stephen C. Pratta

“Collective intelligence” and “wisdom of crowds” refer to situations in which groups achieve more accurate perception and better decisions than solitary agents. Whether groups outperform individuals should depend on the kind of task and its difficulty, but the nature of this relationship remains unknown. Here we show that colonies of Temnothorax ants outperform individuals for a difficult perception task but that individuals do better than groups when the task is easy. Subjects were required to choose the better of two nest sites as the quality difference was varied. For small differences, colonies were more likely than isolated ants to choose the better site, but this relationship was reversed for large differences. We explain these results using a mathematical model, which shows that positive feedback between group members effectively integrates information and sharpens the discrimination of fine differences. When the task is easier the same positive feedback can lock the colony into a suboptimal choice. These results suggest the conditions under which crowds do or do not become wise.