Abstract
Ten goldfish, given a continuous choice between orienting toward a mirror or another conspecific behind Plexiglas, exhibited a distinct preference for mirror-image stimulation. Moreover, the ratio of time spent in association with the mirror plus a target fish to time in the neutral zone showed a tendency to increase as a function of the amount of social deprivation imposed prior to testing. The results were discussed in terms of implications for theories that attribute the appetitive properties of mirror confrontation to the fact that it elicits an aggressive display.
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Gallup, G.G., Hess, J.Y. Preference for mirror image stimulation in goldfish (Carassius auratus). Psychon Sci 23, 63–64 (1971). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336008
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336008