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Simple Summary: Virtual fencing is an alternative to the ubiquitously used physical fences. It uses GPS to determine the location of livestock relative to a virtual line. The system deters livestock from leaving the enclosure by using an auditory warning followed by an electric impulse during approach and crossing of the fence line. This paper assessed the social effects on learning between cattle with and without prior experience with virtual fencing through three case studies: one with a gradual and two with an instant introduction method. These were applied to assess if improvements in associative learning could be made. Due to the non-standardised experiments, it was not possible to analyse the effect across the case studies and therefore to conclude whether the number of experienced cattle or the different introduction methods influenced the inexperienced cattle. Agricultural industries rely on physical fences to manage livestock. However, these present practical, financial, and ecological challenges, which may be solved using virtual fencing. This study aimed to identify how experienced cattle through social facilitation and the introduction method influence inexperienced cattle. Based on three stocks held in Fanø, Denmark, containing 12, 17 and 13 Angus (Bos taurus), we examined the virtual fence learning in three case studies using one gradual introduction with zero experienced cattle (A) and two different instant introductions with one (B) and ten (C) experienced cattle. Gradual introduction had the virtual fence moved 20 m every other day for eleven days, and in the two instant introductions, the physical fence was removed in one day. Warnings and impulses were recorded during an 11-day learning period and a 26-day post-learning period, using the impulses per warning to quantify if the cattle adapted. Case studies A and B showed a significant reduction in the warnings and impulses, but only A showed a significant reduction in the impulses per warning when comparing the learning period to the post-learning period. Due to the non-standardised experiments, it was not possible to conclude if the number of experienced cattle or the introduction method had an effect on the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observation and replication of observed behavior are two key components to organisms surviving and flourishing. In a corresponding manner, people observe the behavior of others in organizations, replicating adaptive while avoiding detrimental behaviors. Learning by observation allows workers to develop repertoires in which adaptive behaviors are reinforced while maladaptive behaviors undergo extinction or are socially and financially punished. Moreover, observers often improve their own performance when monitoring and recording the behavior of others. However, observers also might replicate inappropriate behavior. Imitation, observational learning, observational performance, and rule-governed behavior are discussed in these contexts. Finally, being viewed by others frequently enhances worker responding and accomplishments. These behaviors occur at the individual, group, and organizational levels, allowing some workers, teams, and organizations to flourish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This brief commentary adds to the recent study by paper by Yokomitsu, Kono and Takada (2022). Their study examined social presence in gambling by experimentally investigating the effects of the presence of other people on risky betting among high-risk gamblers. This commentary argues that the paper by Yokomitsu et al. provided a highly selective review on available studies and omitted many of the key studies in the area of social presence and social facilitation in which their findings could have been compared. The commentary also briefly outlines a number of studies that have I co-authored in this area over the past three decades using a variety of different methodologies (e.g., non-participant observation studies, experiments, data mining of account-based tracking data), none of which were mentioned by Yokomitsu et al. despite their clear relevance to this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Design: Individuals' food intake may vary depending on their situation and with whom they are having their meal. Thus this systematic review aimed to compare the effect of social facilitation between eating alone and eating with others, and evaluate the social modeling effect when eating with familiar or unfamiliar others, on food intake. Data Sources: Articles were screened and reviewed based on titles, abstracts and keywords. Inclusion criteria included experimental design, English language, open-accessed, and published from 1980 until the review was conducted in 2018. Review Methods: Using the PRISMA method, potential studies were identified on Science Direct, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, and BASE databases using two different keywords combinations. Results: Seventeen studies were included. For social facilitation, seven studies found that food intake increases when eating alone while five others stated it would increase when eating with others. One study suggested that it increases in both situations. For social modeling of food intake, two studies found that it commonly occurs when an individual eats in the presence of unfamiliar others, while one study reported that it happens more often with familiar others. Two other studies observed that social modeling occurs in both situations. Conclusion and Impact: Food intake tends to increase when eating alone than eating with others while the presence of familiar or unfamiliar others may either increase or limit an individual's food consumption to socially match their co-eaters' intake. Thus, good self-control is crucial for setting a dietary limit regardless of whether ones are eating alone or with familiar or unfamiliar others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing a humanoid robot to assist in performing cognitive multitasking is not straightforward, as the robot's communication itself could interfere with humans' concentration on the tasks. Therefore, we focused on the social facilitation effect caused by the presence of social robots. According to our study, a social robot that expressed its willingness to collaborate in a positive manner and provided advice with social signals only in some tasks, improved the human performance even in another task where no direct advice was given. Moreover, the social robot reduced the mental workload measured by the integrated skin conductance response during the multitasking scenario. Our results showed a new approach to improve multitasking performance in a mixed team with humans and social humanoid robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to examine how international college students' attendance at college sporting events influence social facilitation, cultural maintenance, adaptation to a multicultural environment, satisfaction with college, and positive word-of-mouth. A total of 302 international students were sampled from public universities in the Midwest area and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results of the study showed attendance at college sporting events positively affected social facilitation and in turn positively predicted cultural maintenance, adaptation to a multicultural environment, satisfaction with college, and positive word-of-mouth. The findings of the study contribute to understanding international college students' college experience and provide college administrators with practical information regarding recruitment and retention strategies for international students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Zajonc's (1965) motivation based theory, the presence of a conspecific should increase motivation and the effect of an increase in motivation should depend on the nature of the target behavior. If the target behavior is already in the animals repertoire, the presence of a conspecific should increase the target behavior. If, however, the target behavior needs to be acquired, it should retard its acquisition. There is evidence that pigeons will choose suboptimally when given a choice between a 20% chance of signaled reinforcement and a 50% chance of unsignaled reinforcement. Under these conditions, once a preference is found, Zajonc's theory suggests that the presence of a conspecific should increase suboptimal choice. However, there is also evidence that social experience by pigeons outside the experimental context reduces suboptimal choice. In the present experiment, pigeons performed this task either in the presence of a conspecific or without a conspecific present. Inconsistent with Zajonc's theory, the results indicated that pigeons that performed the task in the presence of a conspecific chose suboptimally less often than pigeons that performed the task on their own. The results suggest that the presence of a conspecific may provide an alternative source of reinforcement, thus replacing some of the effect of the conditioned stimulus provided by the signal for reinforcement. Further testing with increased experimental sample size is recommended to confirm these preliminary findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]