Writing Assignment for Week of Sept 3 -- Communication (Nowicki):

Choose ONE of the three questions below to write about.  Limit your essay to 2 double-spaced pages.  Turn this paper in by October 15th.
**Essays can be placed in Tracy Ziegler's mailbox (located on the first floor of the Levine Science Research Center) by 5:00pm on October 15th.**

Choose ONLY ONE of the three questions below to write about.  Limit your essay to 2 double-spaced pages.

1.  Choose one of the scenarios we examined in the first lecture on communication.  For the scenario you choose, describe the elements of the communication system thought to involved (i.e., what is the sender, what is the receiver, what is the signal, what is the information?), and suggest what benefits and costs might accrue, if any, to either the sender and receiver involved in the system.  Finally, suggest how understanding this communication system might be useful for understanding some aspect of the ecology of the system at a level other than that of the interacting individuals themselves.

2.  Some signals are thought to convey information about the motivational state of an animal (i.e., how likely it is to respond aggressively at a particular moment).  What kinds of costs, if any, might be associated with these so-called "conventional" signals?  Are "conventional" signals more prone to cheating than "assessment" signals or not?  Explain your position.

3. We discussed in class the costs and benefits of communication in terms of a signaler-receiver dyad.  In fact, most communication occurs in a "communication network" (sensu McGregor et al. 2000 reference on reading list), with signals potentially reaching many receivers.  Discuss how a "communication network" view changes the cost/benefit analysis for a signaling interaction.  You may wish to use a specific example, hypothetical or real, to frame your answer.