We outline a framework that views mate choice copying as public information
. In this framework, all individuals assess the quality of potential mates.
Individuals can benefit by copying when they cannot discriminate differenc
es in potential mates, as copying can result in better discrimination. This
framework predicts that the discrimination ability of individuals will str
ongly determine the frequency of copying behaviour observed: individuals wi
th poor discrimination ability should often copy, whereas individuals with
superior discrimination ability should rarely copy. Copying behaviour may o
ccur in a wide variety of taxa but only be observed when individuals are pr
esented with difficult discrimination tasks.