In an experiment (Arnott and Elwood 2007), some hermit crabs, who use empty snail shells as shelters, were induced to change their fighting strategies such that they fought harder if they were in the role of attacker, but gave up more easily when in the role of defender. In this case, this occurred because they
A) had been shown a hidden cache of higher quality shells the other crabs weren't yet aware of.
B) had lost previous arranged fights.
C) had recently eaten.
D) were carrying a shell with an unpleasantly scratchy inside surface produced by the experimenter.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The hermit crabs were induced to change their fighting strategies because they were carrying a shell with an unpleasantly scratchy inside surface, making them more motivated to fight harder as attackers to acquire a better shell and give up more easily as defenders.

In an Experiment (Arnott and Elwood 2007), Some Hermit Crabs