honest signal
among nonhuman animals, a signal that provides accurate information about an individual’s internal state or its intentions. Although some theorists argue that communication should be deceptive or manipulative to ensure survival, honest signals have value if they are highly correlated with a physical trait (e.g., body size) that might, for example, provide important information for mate selection or if they are used within a stable social group where dishonest signals can be detected and “liars” punished. See handicap principle.