Using free flying honey bees to teach principles of learning

Abstract

This paper outlines procedures for using free flying honey bees in a choice discrimination task suitable for the classroom. Procedures for acquisition and extinction are described. The exercise is suitable for all levels of the educational system ranging from elementary school to college. We describe the details of the basic experiments. From this the possible experimental variations are vast and present students with the opportunity to explore many intriguing questions in the fields of animal behavior, behavioral ecology and psychology.