Abstract
The present paper reviews studies of frequency-dependent predation in which predators tend to feed on common prey rather than rare one. This feeding pattern has been observed in a wide variety of species from protozoa to humans. Models of frequency-dependent predation have been proposed by biologists and one of these models proposed by Elton and Greenwood is mathematically similar to the generalized matching law developed in psychology. A modified version of the generalized matching law, replacing the obtained reinforcer frequency ratios with the programmed reinforcer frequency ratios, can handle the strength of the observed feeding pattern. While biologists have not attempted systematically to find factors affecting frequency-dependent predation in the wild, laboratory simulation of foraging behavior based on operant conditioning has been successfully applied to examine several factors thought to influence frequency-dependent predation, such as prey frequency, profitability, and conspicuousness. Studies with pigeons as subjects have suggested that frequency-dependent predation is affected by prey conspicuousness as well as prey profitability.
