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Ferreira VHB, Seressia J, Même N, Bernard J, Pinard-van der Laan MH, Calenge F, Lecoeur A, Hedlund L, Jensen P, Guesdon V, Calandreau L. Early and late cognitive and behavioral aspects associated with range use in free-range laying hens (Gallus gallus domesticus). Poult Sci 2024; 103:103813. [PMID: 38759569 PMCID: PMC11107457 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in free-range chicken systems are important factors influencing how birds use the range (or not), even if individuals are reared in the same environmental conditions. Here, we investigated how various aspects of the birds' behavioral and cognitive tendencies, including their optimism/pessimism, cognitive flexibility, sociability, and exploration levels, are associated with range use and how they may change over time (before and after range access). To achieve this, 100 White Leghorn laying hen chicks underwent three distinct behavioral/cognitive tests-the cognitive bias test, the detour test, and the multivariate test-prior to gaining access to the range, between 9 and 39 days of age. After range access was allowed (from day 71), birds' range use was evaluated over 7 nonconsecutive days (from 74-91 days of age). Subsequently, a subset of birds, classified as high rangers (n = 15) and low rangers (n = 15) based on their range use, underwent retesting on the same three previous tests between 94 and 108 days of age. Our results unveiled a negative correlation trend between birds' evaluation of the ambiguous cue and their subsequent range use (rho = -0.19, p = 0.07). Furthermore, low rangers were faster to learn the detour task (χ2 = 7.34, df = 1, p = 0.006), coupled with increased sociability during the multivariate test (rho = -0.23, p = 0.02), contrasting with their high-ranging counterparts, who displayed more exploratory behaviors (F[1,27] = 3.64, p = 0.06). These behavioral patterns fluctuated over time (before and after range access); however, conclusively attributing these changes to birds' aging and development or the access to the range remains challenging. Overall, our results corroborate that behavioral and cognitive individual differences may be linked to range use and offer novel perspectives on the early behavioral and cognitive traits that may be linked to range use. These findings may serve as a foundation for adapting environments to meet individual needs and improve animal welfare in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeanne Seressia
- CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, UMR PRC, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | | | | | | | - Fanny Calenge
- INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR GABI, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Alexandre Lecoeur
- INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR GABI, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Louise Hedlund
- IFM Biology, AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology group, Linköping Universtiy, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Per Jensen
- IFM Biology, AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology group, Linköping Universtiy, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Vanessa Guesdon
- JUNIA, Comportement Animal et Systèmes d'Elevage, Lille, France
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Berlinghieri F, Rizzuto G, Kruizinga L, Riedstra B, Groothuis T, Brown C. Are lateralized and bold fish optimistic or pessimistic? Anim Cogn 2024; 27:42. [PMID: 38833197 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01876-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive bias is defined as the influence of emotions on cognitive processes. The concept of the cognitive judgement bias has its origins in human psychology but has been applied to animals over the past 2 decades. In this study we were interested in determining if laterality and personality traits, which are known to influence learning style, might also be correlated with a cognitive bias in the three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We used the judgement bias test with the go/no-go procedure where fish were first trained to discriminate between a black and white card and, after reaching a minimum learning criterion, tested their response to an ambiguous card (grey). Optimistic subjects were expected to have a high expectation of reward associated with an ambiguous stimulus, whereas pessimistic subjects a high expectation of non-reward. We used an emergence and a mirror test to quantify boldness and laterality, respectively. We hypothesised that male, bolder and more strongly lateralized fish would be more optimistic than female, shy and less strongly lateralised fish. We found that males and more strongly lateralized fish were more optimistic than females and less strongly lateralized fish. In addition, bold males were more optimistic than shy males as we predicted, but females showed the opposite pattern. Finally, fish trained on the black colour card learned the training task faster than those trained on a white card. Our results indicate that both laterality and personality traits are linked to animals' internal states (pessimistic or optimistic outlooks) which likely has broad implications for understanding animal behaviour particularly in a welfare context.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Berlinghieri
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, 9747, AG, The Netherlands.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.
| | - G Rizzuto
- CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
| | - L Kruizinga
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, 9747, AG, The Netherlands
| | - B Riedstra
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, 9747, AG, The Netherlands
| | - Tgg Groothuis
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, 9747, AG, The Netherlands
| | - C Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
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3
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Douglas JM, Paul-Murphy J, Stelow E, Sanchez-Migallon Guzman D, Udaltsova I. Personality Characteristics Predictive of Social Pairing Outcome in Orange-Winged Amazon Parrots ( Amazona amazonica). J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2024; 27:386-407. [PMID: 37830222 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2023.2268522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Most wild parrot species live in flocks, enriched by the environment and conspecific interactions. Captive parrots often live individually and are prone to behavioral maladaptation. If captive parrots and their behavior become intolerable, they are commonly relinquished to rescue organizations. This study aims to create parrot personality assessments for use by rescuers adding newly acquired parrots to shared environments. The study involved 20 orange-winged Amazon parrots (10 M, 10 F). Observers familiar with each bird scored its personality and analyses determined three sets of personalities: Social, Guarded, and Nervous Each parrot was paired with its 10 heterosexual counterparts and its interactions monitored remotely and captured on video. Pairing trials occurred over 72 hours in a specially designed pairing structure. Parrot personality could predict pairing success. Social-Guarded and Social-Nervous were more successfully paired, with individuals maintaining a close distance to one another and displaying increased rest-stretch behavior. Time of day influenced success with Social-Nervous pairs successful at all times of day, Social-Social pairs in the AM, and Guarded-Guarded pairs in the PM period. The study results suggest that rescues can use personality assessment and specific behaviors during cohabitation to predict OWA novel pairing outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie M Douglas
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Stelow
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Irina Udaltsova
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Jones NAR, Cortese D, Munson A, Spence‐Jones HC, Storm Z, Killen SS, Bethel R, Deacon AE, Webster MM, Závorka L. Maze design: size and number of choices impact fish performance in cognitive assays. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 103:974-984. [PMID: 37386747 PMCID: PMC10952265 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Although studies on fish cognition are increasing, consideration of how methodological details influence the ability to detect and measure performance is lagging. Here, in two separate experiments the authors compared latency to leave the start position, latency to make a decision, levels of participation and success rates (whether fish entered the rewarded chamber as first choice) across different physical designs. Experiments compared fish performance across (a) two sizes of T-mazes, large and standard, and a plus-maze, and (b) open choice arenas with either two or four doors. Fish in T-mazes with longer arms took longer to leave the start chamber and were less likely to participate in a trial than fish in T-mazes with shorter arms. The number of options, or complexity, in a maze significantly impacted success but did not necessarily impact behavioural measures, and did not impact the number of fish that reached a chamber. Fish in the plus-maze had similar latencies to leave the start box and time to reach any chamber as fish in the same-sized T-maze but exhibited lower overall success. Similarly, in an open choice arena, increasing the number of options - doors to potential reward chambers - resulted in lower probability of success. There was an influence of reward position in the choice arena, with rewarded chambers closest to the sides of the arena resulting in lower latencies to enter and higher probability of decision success. Together the results allow the authors to offer practical suggestions towards optimal maze design for studies of fish cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick A. R. Jones
- Department of Animal PhysiologyUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Daphne Cortese
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Amelia Munson
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Helen C. Spence‐Jones
- Alfred‐Wegener‐Institut Helmholtz‐Zentrum für Polar‐ und Meeresforschung, Wadden Sea Station SyltListGermany
| | - Zoe Storm
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Shaun S. Killen
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Ruth Bethel
- Department of Life SciencesThe University of the West IndiesSt AugustineTrinidad and Tobago
| | - Amy E. Deacon
- Department of Life SciencesThe University of the West IndiesSt AugustineTrinidad and Tobago
| | - Mike M. Webster
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Libor Závorka
- WasserCluster Lunz – Biologische Station, Inter‐university Centre for Aquatic Ecosystem ResearchLunz am SeeAustria
- Danube University KremsKremsAustria
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Monk JE, Colditz IG, Clark S, Lee C. Repeatability of an attention bias test for sheep suggests variable influence of state and trait affect on behaviour. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14730. [PMID: 36751637 PMCID: PMC9899428 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the effects of repeated testing on behaviour is essential for behavioural tests that are re-applied to the same individuals for research and welfare assessment purposes. Assessing the repeatability of behaviour can also help us understand the influence of persistent traits vs transient states on animal responses during testing. This study examined the repeatability of behavioural responses in an attention bias test developed for sheep as a measure of affective state. Sheep were assessed in the attention bias test three times (n = 81 sheep), with testing occurring at intervals of 1 year then 2 weeks. During testing, individual sheep were exposed to a dog located behind a window for 3 s in a 4 × 4 m arena, then the dog was obscured from view, removed and sheep behaviours were recorded for 180 s. We hypothesised that behaviours in the test would have moderate-high repeatability but that the mean behavioural responses would change over consecutive trials as sheep habituated to the test environment. To estimate repeatability, data were modelled using restricted maximum likelihood linear mixed-effects models, fitting animal ID as a random effect. Vigilance behaviour, defined as having the head at or above shoulder height, was moderately repeatable (r = 0.58). Latency to eat (r = 0.20) and duration spent looking towards the previous location of the dog (attention to the dog wall) (r = 0.08) had low repeatability. Mean latency to eat did not differ significantly between trials (P = 0.2) and mean vigilance behaviour tended to decrease over the trials (P = 0.07). Mean duration of attention to the dog wall significantly decreased across the trials (P < 0.001), while mean zones crossed increased (P < 0.001), as did behaviours directed towards the exit door such as duration in proximity and pawing at the door. Overall, vigilance behaviour was moderately repeatable, suggesting it may have been driven by temperament or personality traits, while attention and feeding behaviours may have been more influenced by transient affective states or other factors, however further research is needed to better tease apart these potential effects. Sheep demonstrated some habituation to the test over consecutive trials. Care should therefore be taken during future application of the test to ensure all animals undergoing attention bias testing have equivalent experience for a valid interpretation of their relative behavioural responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E. Monk
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia,Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Ian G. Colditz
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Sam Clark
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Caroline Lee
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia,Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Armidale, NSW, Australia
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Cassidy LC, Bethell EJ, Brockhausen RR, Boretius S, Treue S, Pfefferle D. The Dot-Probe Attention Bias Task as a Method to Assess Psychological Well-Being after Anesthesia: A Study with Adult Female Long-Tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Eur Surg Res 2023; 64:37-53. [PMID: 34915502 PMCID: PMC9909723 DOI: 10.1159/000521440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the impact routine research and laboratory procedures have on animals is crucial to improving their well-being and to the success and reproducibility of the research they are involved in. Cognitive measures of welfare offer insight into animals' internal psychological state, but require validation. Attention bias - the tendency to attend to one type of information over another - is a cognitive phenomenon documented in humans and animals that is known to be modulated by affective state (i.e., emotions). Hence, changes in attention bias may offer researchers a deeper perspective of their animals' psychological well-being. The dot-probe task is an established method for quantifying attention bias in humans (by measuring reaction time to a dot-probe replacing pairs of stimuli), but has yet to be validated in animals. We developed a dot-probe task for long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) to determine if the task can detect changes in attention bias following anesthesia, a context known to modulate attention and trigger physiological arousal in macaques. Our task included the following features: stimulus pairs of threatening and neutral facial expressions of conspecifics and their scrambled counterparts, two stimuli durations (100 and 1,000 ms), and counterbalancing of the dot-probe's position on the touchscreen (left and right) and location relative to the threatening stimulus. We tested 8 group-housed adult females on different days relative to being anesthetized (baseline and 1-, 3-, 7-, and 14-days after). At baseline, monkeys were vigilant to threatening content when stimulus pairs were presented for 100 ms, but not 1,000 ms. On the day immediately following anesthesia, we found evidence that attention bias changed to an avoidance of threatening content. Attention bias returned to threat vigilance by the third day postanesthesia and remained so up to the last day of testing (14-days after anesthesia). We also found that attention bias was independent of the type of stimuli pair (i.e., whole face vs. scrambled counterparts), suggesting that the scrambled stimuli retained aspects of the original stimuli. Nevertheless, whole faces were more salient to the monkeys as responses to these trials were generally slower than to scrambled stimulus pairs. Overall, our study suggests it is feasible to detect changes in attention bias following anesthesia using the dot-probe task in nonhuman primates. Our results also reveal important aspects of stimulus preparation and experimental design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren C Cassidy
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Emily J Bethell
- Liverpool John Moores University, Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool John Moores University, Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ralf R Brockhausen
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Susann Boretius
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Functional Imaging Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Dana Pfefferle
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
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Is vigilance a personality trait? Plasticity is key alongside some contextual consistency. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0279066. [PMID: 36508445 PMCID: PMC9744299 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals regularly scan their environment for predators and to monitor conspecifics. However, individuals in a group seem to differ in their vigilance linked to age, sex or state with recent links made to personality. The aims of the study were to investigate whether a) individuals differ consistently in their vigilance, b) vigilance is linked to other personality traits and c) other factors affect vigilance in the colour polymorphic Gouldian finch. Birds were tested in same (red-headed or black-headed) or mixed head colour morph same sex pairs in four contexts (novel environment, familiar environment, two changed environments). Vigilance was measured as horizontal head movements. Vigilance showed contextual consistency but no long-term temporal consistency over a year. Head movements were only weakly linked to other personality traits indicative of a risk-reward trade-off with more explorative individuals being less vigilant. Vigilance was highly plastic across situations and affected by group composition. Mixed head colour morph pairs made more head movements, potentially linked to higher social vigilance. Results indicate that vigilance is a highly plastic trait affected by personality rather than a personality trait on its own, which allows adapting vigilance to different situations.
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8
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Judgement bias of group housed gestating sows predicted by behavioral traits, but not physical measures of welfare. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264258. [PMID: 35213574 PMCID: PMC8880926 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Judgement bias testing has emerged as a potential tool for assessing affective states in animals. Researchers infer an animal's affective state based on an animal's response to an ambiguous stimulus that is intermediate to both the rewarded and punished conditioned stimuli. Animals can be classified as "optimistic" or having a positive affective state if the animal displays behaviors that suggest an increased expectation of reward in the face of ambiguous stimuli. Alternatively, animals can be classified "pessimistic" or having a negative affective state if the animal displays behaviors that suggest an increased expectation of punishment in the face of ambiguous stimuli. Recent reports in multiple species question what factors influence performance in judgement bias testing, and which may allow for erroneous conclusions regarding individual affective state. In order to better understand this concern, 25 female swine were subjected to behavioral assessments at critical rearing stages to determine response variability. These same individuals were then assessed for physical measures of welfare and judgement bias using the "go/no-go" task as breeding adults. Sows which were more aggressive approached the ambiguous, but not the positive, stimulus significantly faster than others. Both optimistic and pessimistic biases were observed despite all sows living in enriched housing, and, sows with more positive physical welfare measures (fewer skin lesions and healthy body condition) did not exhibit more optimistic judgement biases. Our data demonstrate that behavior traits, such as aggressiveness, can affect a sow's performance in a judgement bias test, while measures of physical health did not. We suggest that individual differences in behavior (e.g., bold-aggressive behavioral syndrome, or, proactive coping style) generate different emotional responses and can contribute to the animal's overall affective state more so than physical ailment. Our findings highlight the complexity of how different factors impact an animal's overall affective state and support the need for complementary measures in future JBT studies, including personality assessment.
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Kremer L, Bus JD, Webb LE, Bokkers EAM, Engel B, van der Werf JTN, Schnabel SK, van Reenen CG. Housing and personality effects on judgement and attention biases in dairy cows. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22984. [PMID: 34836990 PMCID: PMC8626508 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01843-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Affective states can be inferred from responses to ambiguous and threatening stimuli, using Judgement Bias Tasks (JBTs) and Attention Bias Tasks (ABTs). We investigated the separate and interactive effects of personality and housing conditions on dairy cattle affective states. We assessed personality in 48 heifers using Open-Field, Novel-Object and Runway tests. Personality effects on responses to the JBT and to the ABT were examined when heifers were housed under reference conditions. Heifers were subsequently housed under positive or negative conditions, and housing effects on animal responses in both tasks were investigated while controlling for personality. A Principal Component Analysis revealed three personality traits labelled Activity, Fearfulness and Sociability. Under reference conditions, personality influenced heifers' responses to the JBT and to the ABT, therefore questioning the tasks' generalizability across individuals. Against expectations, housing did not influence responses to the JBT and heifers in the negative conditions looked at the threat later than heifers in the positive or reference conditions. More research is warranted to confirm the validity and the repeatability of the JBT and of the ABT as appropriate measures of affective states in dairy cows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Kremer
- Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands. .,Livestock Research, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jacinta D. Bus
- grid.4818.50000 0001 0791 5666Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Laura E. Webb
- grid.4818.50000 0001 0791 5666Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Eddie A. M. Bokkers
- grid.4818.50000 0001 0791 5666Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bas Engel
- grid.4818.50000 0001 0791 5666Biometris, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jozef T. N. van der Werf
- grid.4818.50000 0001 0791 5666Livestock Research, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sabine K. Schnabel
- grid.4818.50000 0001 0791 5666Biometris, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelis G. van Reenen
- grid.4818.50000 0001 0791 5666Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands ,grid.4818.50000 0001 0791 5666Livestock Research, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Ramos GDAP, de Azevedo CS, Lovestain DDC, Jardim THA, Sant’Anna AC. Is individual temperament related to behaviors in a social context for a Neotropical parakeet species? Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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11
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Chen J, Chen L, Yan C, Yu Z, Zou Y, Sun YH. Are cognition and personality related in budgerigars? Curr Zool 2021; 68:315-323. [PMID: 35592343 PMCID: PMC9113357 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, researchers have been attempting to relate differences in personality (e.g., boldness, aggressiveness, exploration tendency) to variation in cognition (performances in tasks that require learning, reasoning, attention, or memory, etc.) both theoretically and empirically. However, it is unclear on what basis personality and cognition might be associated with each other. Previous theory suggests a connection between fast–slow personality types and cognitive speed–accuracy tradeoffs. In this study, we tested this hypothesis in budgerigars and found that, in their 1st associative learning, birds with fast personality (less fearful of handling stress) were fast learners in the beginning, while slow personality individuals improved faster, but both types of birds did not differ in accuracy. However, these relationships were context-dependent. No significant relationship was found in subsequent learning tasks (reversal learning and a 2nd associative learning) in the familiar context (task setup and apparatus similar to the 1st associative learning). We then conducted a problem-solving experiment with novel setup and apparatus to test 1 possible explanation that the association between personality and cognition in the 1st associative learning might be caused by noncognitive constraint, such as fearfulness when facing novel task setup and apparatus. We found that fast individuals interacted more with the problem box and solved it, whereas the slow birds were not. We suggest that personalities can influence cognitive performances and trigger a cognitive speed-improvement tradeoff under the novel context. However, there are no consistent cognitive styles that co-varied with different personalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiani Chen
- Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Lu Chen
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Chuan Yan
- Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Zibo Yu
- School of Natural Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yuqi Zou
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yue-Hua Sun
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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12
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Wells DL. Paw preference as a tool for assessing emotional functioning and welfare in dogs and cats: A review. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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13
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Does captivity alter problem-solving behavior in Goffin's cockatoos? Learn Behav 2021; 49:1-2. [PMID: 33629242 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-020-00458-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Researchers often argue for the existence of "captivity bias": a higher success rate that may be observed for nonhumans tested in captivity compared to those tested in nature, purportedly because the former have certain advantages that the latter lack. Rössler et al. (Scientific Reports 10, 8681, 2020) find that, at least for Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana), differences exist in motivation, not in problem-solving ability.
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Howarth ER, Kemp C, Thatcher HR, Szott ID, Farningham D, Witham CL, Holmes A, Semple S, Bethell EJ. Developing and validating attention bias tools for assessing trait and state affect in animals: A worked example with Macaca mulatta. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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15
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The influence of sex, rearing history, and personality on abnormal behaviour in zoo-housed bonobos (Pan paniscus). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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16
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Huskisson SM, Ross SR, Hopper LM. Do zoo visitors induce attentional bias effects in primates completing cognitive tasks? Anim Cogn 2020; 24:645-653. [PMID: 33156406 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01445-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
While previous research has focused on the impact of visitors on zoo-housed animals' behavior, here, we evaluated the impact of visitors on the performance of four zoo-housed Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) in a cognitive task. The macaques completed a touchscreen-based match-to-sample task in glass-sided booths at the perimeter of their enclosure, adjacent to a visitor viewing area. The task was novel to all macaques at the start of this study but over the 6-month testing period the macaques showed increased accuracy on the task, suggestive of learning. We recorded the number of visitors within the viewing area roughly every 12 trials each macaque completed. We categorized visitor counts as small (0-20), medium (21-40), and large (41-60) crowds and we considered the macaques' response latencies and accuracy by crowd size and study period (first 3 months versus second 3 months). If visitor presence negatively influenced performance, we predicted that macaques' accuracy would decrease but response times would increase with crowd size. We found effects of crowd size and study period on the macaques' accuracy. In the first period, the macaques performed at chance and accuracy did not differ across crowd categories. In the second period, the macaques' accuracy improved as compared to the first period, but their accuracy was mediated by crowd size: the macaques were significantly more accurate in the presence of small crowds than medium or large crowds. The macaques' response latencies also varied by study period and crowd size, but we found no evidence of a response-slowing effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Huskisson
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, 60614, USA
| | - Stephen R Ross
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, 60614, USA
| | - Lydia M Hopper
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, 60614, USA.
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Cimarelli G, Schoesswender J, Vitiello R, Huber L, Virányi Z. Partial rewarding during clicker training does not improve naïve dogs' learning speed and induces a pessimistic-like affective state. Anim Cogn 2020; 24:107-119. [PMID: 32897444 PMCID: PMC7829239 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01425-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Clicker training is considered a welfare-friendly way of teaching novel behaviors to animals because it is mostly based on the positive reinforcement. However, trainers largely vary in their way of applying this training technique. According to the most, a reward (e.g., food) should follow every click, while others claim that dogs learn faster when the reward is sometimes omitted. One argument against the use of partial rewarding is that it induces frustration in the animal, raising concerns over its welfare consequences. Here, we investigated the effect of partial rewarding not only on training efficacy (learning speed), but also on dogs' affective state. We clicker-trained two groups of dogs: one group received food after every click while the other group received food only 60% of the time. Considering previous evidence of the influencing role of personality on reactions to frustrated expectations, we included measurements of dogs' emotional reactivity. We compared the number of trials needed to reach a learning criterion and their pessimistic bias in a cognitive bias test. No difference between the two groups emerged in terms of learning speed; however, dogs that were partially rewarded during clicker training showed a more pessimistic bias than dogs that were continuously rewarded. Generally, emotional reactivity was positively associated with a more pessimistic bias. Partial rewarding does not improve training efficacy, but it is associated with a negatively valenced affective state, bringing support to the hypothesis that partial rewarding might negatively affect dogs' welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cimarelli
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, Vienna, 1210, Austria. .,Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Julia Schoesswender
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, Vienna, 1210, Austria
| | - Roberta Vitiello
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, Vienna, 1210, Austria.,R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, Scotland.,Scotland's Rural University College (SRUC), Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, Scotland.,UMR PRC, INRA, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Ludwig Huber
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, Vienna, 1210, Austria
| | - Zsófia Virányi
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, Vienna, 1210, Austria
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Košťál Ľ, Skalná Z, Pichová K. Use of cognitive bias as a welfare tool in poultry. J Anim Sci 2020; 98:S63-S79. [PMID: 32016360 PMCID: PMC7433926 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skaa039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In human psychology, the link between cognition and emotions is broadly accepted. However, the idea of using the interaction between cognition and emotions as a tool for a better understanding of animal emotions or for welfare assessment is relatively new. The first avian species used in cognitive bias tests was the European starling followed by the domestic chicken and other species. The most frequently used paradigm is the affect-induced judgment bias. There are many variations of the judgment bias tests in birds. The test itself is preceded by discrimination training. Discrimination tasks vary from visual cue discrimination, discrimination of time intervals to spatial location discrimination. During the discrimination training, birds flip or do not flip the lids of the food dishes, and their latency to approach the cues in a straight alley maze, in a two-choice arena, or different locations in spatial judgment task arena are measured. Alternately, the birds fulfill operant tasks in a Skinner box. Before or after the discrimination training phase, birds are subjected to manipulations that are hypothesized to induce positive or negative emotional states. In the last stage, birds are subjected to judgment bias tests. The assumption is that animals in a negative affective state would more likely respond to ambiguous cues, as if they predict the negative event, than animals in a more positive state. However, the results of some avian studies are inconsistent, particularly those studying the effect of environmental enrichment. In starlings, each of the three studies has supplied conflicting results. In poultry, none of the four studies demonstrated a positive effect of environmental enrichment on emotional states. Only the study using unpredictable stressors in combination with environmental complexity showed that animals kept in a more complex environment are more optimistic. Manipulation of the social environment seems to be more effective in judgment bias induction. Conflicting results could be attributable to the design of the tests, the manner of affect induction, or the data analysis. Further optimization and validation of avian cognitive bias tests could help to avoid problems such as the loss of ambiguity. New methods of attention and memory bias testing are promising. However, regardless of the abovementioned complications, a cognitive bias paradigm is a valuable tool, which can help us better understand avian emotions and assess poultry welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ľubor Košťál
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Skalná
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Pichová
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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The nuts and bolts of animal emotion. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:273-286. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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20
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Trevarthen AC, Kappel S, Roberts C, Finnegan EM, Paul ES, Planas-Sitjà I, Mendl MT, Fureix C. Measuring affect-related cognitive bias: Do mice in opposite affective states react differently to negative and positive stimuli? PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226438. [PMID: 31887167 PMCID: PMC6936852 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Affect-driven cognitive biases can be used as an indicator of affective (emotional) state. Since humans in negative affective states demonstrate greater responses to negatively-valenced stimuli, we investigated putative affect-related bias in mice by monitoring their response to unexpected, task-irrelevant stimuli of different valence. Thirty-one C57BL/6J and 31 DBA/2J females were individually trained to return to their home-cage in a runway. Mice then underwent an affective manipulation acutely inducing a negative (NegAff) or a comparatively less negative (CompLessNeg) affective state before immediately being tested in the runway with either an 'attractive' (familiar food) or 'threatening' (flashing light) stimulus. Mice were subsequently trained and tested again (same affective manipulation) with the alternative stimulus. As predicted, mice were slower to approach the light and spent more time with the food. DBA/2J mice were slower than C57BL/6J overall. Contrary to predictions, NegAff mice tended to approach both stimuli more readily than CompLessNeg mice, especially the light, and even more so for DBA/2Js. Although the stimuli successfully differentiated the response of mice to unexpected, task-irrelevant stimuli, further refinement may be required to disentangle the effects of affect manipulation and arousal on the response to valenced stimuli. The results also highlight the significant importance of considering strain differences when developing cognitive tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C. Trevarthen
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Kappel
- School of Biological & Marine Science, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Roberts
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Emily M. Finnegan
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth S. Paul
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Isaac Planas-Sitjà
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michael T. Mendl
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Carole Fureix
- School of Biological & Marine Science, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
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Individual Differences in Response to Ambiguous Stimuli in a Modified Go/No-Go Paradigm are Associated with Personality in Family Dogs. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11067. [PMID: 31363152 PMCID: PMC6667502 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47510-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive biases, often used as indices of affective and emotional states, are associated with individual differences in personality in humans and have been observed in nonhuman animals, including dogs. Although dogs have complementary advantages over traditional animal models of human cognition, little is known about the relationship between dogs’ cognitive bias and personality. Here, we examined in 29 family dogs (representing 14 breeds and 12 mutts; Mage = 4.59 years, SD = 2.90), the association between naturally occurring – as opposed to experimentally induced – cognitive bias, indexed via active choice behavior in a Go/No-Go (GNG) paradigm reflecting positive/negative expectations about ambiguous stimuli, and owner-rated personality. In a subsample we additionally assessed whether prior inhibition, personality, and inattention (IA)/hyperactivity/impulsivity (H/I) results could be replicated in a modified paradigm. We also explored whether expanding the response time-window would increase GNG errors and whether dogs exhibited differences in their behavioral approach to uncertainty. Findings indicated dogs with higher conscientiousness and extraversion scores were more likely to exhibit a “go” response to ambiguous stimuli. Replicability across prior and current results was generally established, e.g., as previously, IA did not predict GNG performance but extraversion did, whereas H/I predicted different indices of GNG performance. Increased response time-window did not result in differential performance, except for less commission errors. No differences in behavioral response strategy to trained “no-go” and to ambiguous stimuli were apparent. Results evince the dog is a promising animal model of the association between an optimistic cognitive bias and personality.
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22
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Friel M, Kunc HP, Griffin K, Asher L, Collins LM. Positive and negative contexts predict duration of pig vocalisations. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2062. [PMID: 30765788 PMCID: PMC6375976 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38514-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotions are mental states occurring in response to external and internal stimuli and thus form an integral part of an animal's behaviour. Emotions can be mapped in two dimensions based on their arousal and valence. Whilst good indicators of arousal exist, clear indicators of emotional valence, particularly positive valence, are still rare. However, positively valenced emotions may play a crucial role in social interactions in many species and thus, an understanding of how emotional valence is expressed is needed. Vocalisations are a potential indicator of emotional valence as they can reflect the internal state of the caller. We experimentally manipulated valence, using positive and negative cognitive bias trials, to quantify changes in pig vocalisations. We found that grunts were shorter in positive trials than in negative trials. Interestingly, we did not find differences in the other measured acoustic parameters between the positive and negative contexts as reported in previous studies. These differences in results suggest that acoustic parameters may differ in their sensitivity as indicators of emotial valence. However, it is important to understand how similar contexts are, in terms of their valence, to be able to fully understand how and when acoustic parameters reflect emotional states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Friel
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, Belfast, UK
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Hansjoerg P Kunc
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, Belfast, UK
| | - Kym Griffin
- School of Animal Rural & Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Lucy Asher
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Lisa M Collins
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.
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Crump A, Arnott G, Bethell EJ. Affect-Driven Attention Biases as Animal Welfare Indicators: Review and Methods. Animals (Basel) 2018; 8:E136. [PMID: 30087230 PMCID: PMC6115853 DOI: 10.3390/ani8080136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention bias describes the differential allocation of attention towards one stimulus compared to others. In humans, this bias can be mediated by the observer's affective state and is implicated in the onset and maintenance of affective disorders such as anxiety. Affect-driven attention biases (ADABs) have also been identified in a few other species. Here, we review the literature on ADABs in animals and discuss their utility as welfare indicators. Despite a limited research effort, several studies have found that negative affective states modulate attention to negative (i.e., threatening) cues. ADABs influenced by positive-valence states have also been documented in animals. We discuss methods for measuring ADAB and conclude that looking time, dot-probe, and emotional spatial cueing paradigms are particularly promising. Research is needed to test them with a wider range of species, investigate attentional scope as an indicator of affect, and explore the possible causative role of attention biases in determining animal wellbeing. Finally, we argue that ADABs might not be best-utilized as indicators of general valence, but instead to reveal specific emotions, motivations, aversions, and preferences. Paying attention to the human literature could facilitate these advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Crump
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK.
| | - Gareth Arnott
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK.
| | - Emily J Bethell
- Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, James Parsons Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK.
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Paulino R, Nogueira-Filho SLG, Nogueira SSDC. The role of individual behavioral distinctiveness in exploratory and anti-predatory behaviors of red-browed Amazon parrot (Amazona rhodocorytha) during pre-release training. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2018.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Cognitive Bias in Zoo Animals: An Optimistic Outlook for Welfare Assessment. Animals (Basel) 2018; 8:ani8070104. [PMID: 29954151 PMCID: PMC6071086 DOI: 10.3390/ani8070104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive bias testing measures how emotional states can affect cognitive processes, often described using the “glass half-full/half-empty” paradigm. Classical or operant conditioning is used to measure responses to ambiguous cues, and it has been reported across many species and contexts that an animal’s cognitive bias can be directly linked to welfare state, e.g., those in better welfare make more optimistic judgements. Cognitive bias testing has only recently been applied to animals and represents a key milestone in welfare science: it is currently one of the only accurate methods available to measure welfare. The tests have been conducted on many farm, laboratory, and companion animal species, but have only been carried out in zoo settings a handful of times. The aims of this review are to evaluate the feasibility of cognitive bias testing in zoos and its potential as a tool for studying zoo animal welfare. The few existing zoo cognitive bias studies are reviewed, as well as those conducted on similar, non-domesticated species. This work is then used to discuss how tests could be successfully designed and executed in zoo settings, which types of tests are most appropriate in different contexts, and how the data could be used to improve animal welfare. The review closely examines the many variables are present in the zoo which cannot be controlled as in other settings, termed here the Zoo Environment (ZE) Variables. It is recommended that tests are developed after consideration of each of the ZE Variables, and through strong collaboration between zookeepers, managers, and academic institutions. There is much unexplored potential of cognitive bias testing in the zoo setting, not least its use in investigating animal welfare in zoos. It is hoped that this review will stimulate increased interest in this topic from zoo managers, scientists, and industry regulators alike.
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Coutant T, Bagur S, Gilbert C. Development of an observational quantitative temperament test in three common parrot species. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Personality traits affecting judgement bias task performance in dogs (Canis familiaris). Sci Rep 2018; 8:6660. [PMID: 29703989 PMCID: PMC5924375 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25224-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Certain personality traits (e.g. anxiousness, fearfulness), are known to affect the cognitive processing of environmental stimuli, such as the judgement of ambiguous stimuli (judgement bias). Our aim was to assess if personality traits are predictive of a more or less ‘pessimistic’ or ‘optimistic’ judgement bias in the domestic dog. We assessed dog personality (N = 31) using two validated protocols: the Dog Mentality Assessment (standardised battery test) and the CBARQ (owner-based survey). We used a common task based on the animals’ latency to approach a bowl placed in one of three ambiguous positions (Near Positive, Middle, Near Negative) between a baited (Positive) and a non-baited food bowl (Negative) to assess judgement bias. Linear Mixed Model analyses revealed that dogs scoring higher on sociability, excitability and non-social-fear had shorter response latencies to bowls in an ambiguous location, indicating a more ‘optimistic’ bias. In contrast, dogs scoring higher on separation-related-behaviour and dog-directed-fear/aggression traits were more likely to judge an ambiguous stimulus as leading to a negative outcome, indicating a more ‘pessimistic’ bias. Results, partially consistent with previous findings in humans, indicate that personality plays a role in the cognitive processing of environmental stimuli in the domestic dog.
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Consistency and flexibility in solving spatial tasks: different horses show different cognitive styles. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16557. [PMID: 29185468 PMCID: PMC5707407 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16729-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual animals vary in their behaviour and reactions to novel situations. These differences may extend to differences in cognition among individuals. We tested twenty-six horses for their ability to detour around symmetric and asymmetric obstacles. All of the animals were able to get around the barrier to reach a food target, but varied in their approach. Some horses moved slowly but were more accurate in choosing the shortest way. Other horses acted quickly, consistently detoured in the same direction, and did not reliably choose the shortest way. The remaining horses shifted from a faster, directionally consistent response with the symmetric barrier, to a slower but more accurate response with the asymmetric barrier. The asymmetric barrier induced a reduction in heart rate variability, suggesting that this is a more demanding task. The different approaches used to solve the asymmetric task may reflect distinct cognitive styles in horses, which vary among individuals, and could be linked to different personality traits. Understanding equine behaviour and cognition can inform horse welfare and management.
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d’Ettorre P, Carere C, Demora L, Le Quinquis P, Signorotti L, Bovet D. Individual differences in exploratory activity relate to cognitive judgement bias in carpenter ants. Behav Processes 2017; 134:63-69. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/24/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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30
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Psittacine cognition: Individual differences and sources of variation. Behav Processes 2017; 134:103-109. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Revised: 11/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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31
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Lalot M, Ung D, Péron F, d'Ettorre P, Bovet D. You know what? I'm happy. Cognitive bias is not related to personality but is induced by pair-housing in canaries (Serinus canaria). Behav Processes 2016; 134:70-77. [PMID: 27697598 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that cognitive bias could constitute a novel and valid measure of animal welfare. Although interest for a link between personality and cognition is growing, no study to date investigated whether a cognitive bias might be related to the personality of the individuals. We trained 43 domestic canaries (Serinus canaria) to discriminate between two sides of a test cage, each side being associated with a different value (attractive or aversive food in a dish). During the test phase, the dish was placed at intermediate locations, representing ambiguous information. Results show evidence of an "optimistic" bias (flying faster to the dish at the ambiguous location) in birds housed in pairs, compared to birds housed singly, suggesting an influence of social context (living conditions) on canaries' emotions when tested individually. We also studied six traits of individuals' personality and found that aggressiveness, neophobia, one sociability index and obstinacy were repeatable across social context and/or day-light schedule, whereas the other sociability index, boldness and locomotion were not. No correlation between the birds' optimism and any of their personality traits was found, suggesting that cognitive bias may be a matter of social context rather than of individual personality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Lalot
- Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, Université Nanterre Paris Ouest La Défense, Nanterre, France
| | - Davy Ung
- Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, Université Nanterre Paris Ouest La Défense, Nanterre, France
| | - Franck Péron
- Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, Université Nanterre Paris Ouest La Défense, Nanterre, France
| | - Patrizia d'Ettorre
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris-Nord, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Dalila Bovet
- Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, Université Nanterre Paris Ouest La Défense, Nanterre, France.
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Costa P, Macchi E, Valle E, De Marco M, Nucera DM, Gasco L, Schiavone A. An association between feather damaging behavior and corticosterone metabolite excretion in captive African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus). PeerJ 2016; 4:e2462. [PMID: 27672512 PMCID: PMC5028759 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) are kept as pets and are frequently hand-reared. It has been observed that hand-reared African grey parrots may develop behavioral disorders such as feather damaging behavior (FDB). It is well known that chronic stress is involved in behavioral disorders in captive parrots. The main glucocorticoid in birds is corticosterone; its quantification provides information about adrenocortical activity and is considered to be a reliable indicator of stress levels in birds. We analyzed the differences in the excretion of corticosterone metabolites (CM) in the droppings of African grey parrots characterized by: 1. different rearing histories (parent rearing vs. hand rearing); and 2. the presence or absence of FDB in hand-reared parrots. Methods A total of 82 African grey parrots that were kept in captivity were considered. According to breeding methods, three groups of birds were defined: 1. The parent-reared (PR) parrots included birds kept in pairs (n = 30 pairs) with a conspecific partner of the opposite sex. All of these birds were healthy and never showed FDB signs; 2. The healthy hand-reared parrots (H-HR) included pet parrots individually kept, that were hand-reared and did not display any sign of FDB (n = 11, 7 males and 4 females); 3. The FDB hand-reared parrot (FDB-HR) included pet parrots individually kept, that were hand-reared and displayed FDB (n = 11, 7 males and 4 females). Droppings were collected in the morning over three alternating days in autumn 2014 and spring 2015. The CM were determined using a multi-species corticosterone enzyme immunoassay kit. Split-plot repeated-measure ANOVA was used to examine any differences using group, season and group × season as the main factors. Results Different quantities of CM in droppings were found for the three groups. The mean CM value was 587 ng/g in the PR parrots, 494 ng/g in the H-HR parrots and 1,744 ng/g in the FDB-HR parrots, irrespective of the season. The excretion of CM in FDB-HR was significantly higher than in PR or H-HR parrots. CM in droppings were not influenced by the season (autumn vs. spring); furthermore, the interaction between group and sampling season was not significant. Limited to the H-HR and FDB-HR groups, a trend in the significance of the difference in the mean CM excreted by male and female birds was observed, with the levels excreted by males being higher than those excreted by females. When the effect of age was considered (in the two separate groups), there was a statistically significant positive correlation only for H-HR. Conclusions The highest amount of CM excretion was found in FDB-HR parrots, and a positive correlation between age and CM excretion was found in H-HR. Given that the CM excretion of both PR and H-HR parrots was similar in our study, future research is recommended to investigate the specific aspects of hand-rearing to improve parrot welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierluca Costa
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Elisabetta Macchi
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Emanuela Valle
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Michele De Marco
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Daniele M Nucera
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Laura Gasco
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Achille Schiavone
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
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Ferreira JCP, Fujihara CJ, Fruhvald E, Trevisol E, Destro FC, Teixeira CR, Pantoja JCF, Schmidt EMS, Palme R. Non-Invasive Measurement of Adrenocortical Activity in Blue-Fronted Parrots (Amazona aestiva, Linnaeus, 1758). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145909. [PMID: 26717147 PMCID: PMC4696673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Parrots kept in zoos and private households often develop psychological and behavioural disorders. Despite knowing that such disorders have a multifactorial aetiology and that chronic stress is involved, little is known about their development mainly due to a poor understanding of the parrots' physiology and the lack of validated methods to measure stress in these species. In birds, blood corticosterone concentrations provide information about adrenocortical activity. However, blood sampling techniques are difficult, highly invasive and inappropriate to investigate stressful situations and welfare conditions. Thus, a non-invasive method to measure steroid hormones is critically needed. Aiming to perform a physiological validation of a cortisone enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to measure glucocorticoid metabolites (GCM) in droppings of 24 Blue-fronted parrots (Amazona aestiva), two experiments were designed. During the experiments all droppings were collected at 3-h intervals. Initially, birds were sampled for 24 h (experiment 1) and one week later assigned to four different treatments (experiment 2): Control (undisturbed), Saline (0.2 mL of 0.9% NaCl IM), Dexamethasone (1 mg/kg IM) and Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH; 25 IU IM). Treatments (always one week apart) were applied to all animals in a cross-over study design. A daily rhythm pattern in GCM excretion was detected but there were no sex differences (first experiment). Saline and dexamethasone treatments had no effect on GCM (not different from control concentrations). Following ACTH injection, GCM concentration increased about 13.1-fold (median) at the peak (after 3-9 h), and then dropped to pre-treatment concentrations. By a successful physiological validation, we demonstrated the suitability of the cortisone EIA to non-invasively monitor increased adrenocortical activity, and thus, stress in the Blue-fronted parrot. This method opens up new perspectives for investigating the connection between behavioural disorders and stress in this bird species, and could also help in their captive management.
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Affiliation(s)
- João C. P. Ferreira
- Department of Animal Reproduction and Veterinary Radiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Unesp – Univ Estadual Paulista, Rubião Junior s/n, 18.618-970, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Caroline J. Fujihara
- Department of Animal Reproduction and Veterinary Radiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Unesp – Univ Estadual Paulista, Rubião Junior s/n, 18.618-970, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Erika Fruhvald
- Department of Animal Reproduction and Veterinary Radiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Unesp – Univ Estadual Paulista, Rubião Junior s/n, 18.618-970, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Trevisol
- Department of Animal Reproduction and Veterinary Radiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Unesp – Univ Estadual Paulista, Rubião Junior s/n, 18.618-970, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Flavia C. Destro
- Department of Animal Reproduction and Veterinary Radiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Unesp – Univ Estadual Paulista, Rubião Junior s/n, 18.618-970, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Carlos R. Teixeira
- Department of Veterinary Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Unesp – Univ Estadual Paulista, Rubião Junior s/n, 18.618-970, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - José C. F. Pantoja
- Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, UNESP – Univ Estadual Paulista, Rubião Junior s/n, 18.618-970, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth M. S. Schmidt
- Department of Veterinary Clinics, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Unesp – Univ Estadual Paulista, Rubião Junior s/n, 18.618-970, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 2210, Vienna, Austria
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Bethell EJ. A “How-To” Guide for Designing Judgment Bias Studies to Assess Captive Animal Welfare. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2015; 18 Suppl 1:S18-42. [DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2015.1075833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Brajon S, Laforest JP, Schmitt O, Devillers N. The Way Humans Behave Modulates the Emotional State of Piglets. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133408. [PMID: 26244335 PMCID: PMC4526664 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The emotional state can influence decision-making under ambiguity. Cognitive bias tests (CBT) proved to be a promising indicator of the affective valence of animals in a context of farm animal welfare. Although it is well-known that humans can influence the intensity of fear and reactions of animals, research on cognitive bias often focusses on housing and management conditions and neglects the role of humans on emotional states of animals. The present study aimed at investigating whether humans can modulate the emotional state of weaned piglets. Fifty-four piglets received a chronic experience with humans: gentle (GEN), rough (ROU) or minimal contact (MIN). Simultaneously, they were individually trained on a go/no-go task to discriminate a positive auditory cue, associated with food reward in a trough, from a negative one, associated with punishments (e.g. water spray). Independently of the treatment (P = 0.82), 59% of piglets completed the training. Successfully trained piglets were then subjected to CBT, including ambiguous cues in presence or absence of a human observer. As hypothesized, GEN piglets showed a positive judgement bias, as shown by their higher percentage of go responses following an ambiguous cue compared to ROU (P = 0.03) and MIN (P = 0.02) piglets, whereas ROU and MIN piglets did not differ (P > 0.10). The presence of an observer during CBT did not modulate the percentage of go responses following an ambiguous cue (P > 0.10). However, regardless of the treatment, piglets spent less time in contact with the trough following positive cues during CBT in which the observer was present than absent (P < 0.0001). This study originally demonstrates that the nature of a chronic experience with humans can induce a judgement bias indicating that the emotional state of farm animals such as piglets can be affected by the way humans interact with them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Brajon
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Dairy and Swine Research and Development Centre, 2000 College Street, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1M 0C8, Canada
- Université Laval, Department of Animal Science, 2325 Rue de l’Université, Quebec city, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Jean-Paul Laforest
- Université Laval, Department of Animal Science, 2325 Rue de l’Université, Quebec city, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Océane Schmitt
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Dairy and Swine Research and Development Centre, 2000 College Street, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1M 0C8, Canada
| | - Nicolas Devillers
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Dairy and Swine Research and Development Centre, 2000 College Street, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1M 0C8, Canada
- * E-mail:
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The Relationship between Personality Dimensions and Resiliency to Environmental Stress in Orange-Winged Amazon Parrots (Amazona amazonica), as Indicated by the Development of Abnormal Behaviors. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126170. [PMID: 26114423 PMCID: PMC4482636 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Parrots are popular companion animals, but are frequently relinquished because of behavioral problems, including abnormal repetitive behaviors like feather damaging behavior and stereotypy. In addition to contributing to pet relinquishment, these behaviors are important as potential indicators of diminished psychological well-being. While abnormal behaviors are common in captive animals, their presence and/or severity varies between animals of the same species that are experiencing the same environmental conditions. Personality differences could contribute to this observed individual variation, as they are known risk factors for stress sensitivity and affective disorders in humans. The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between personality and the development and severity of abnormal behaviors in captive-bred orange-winged Amazon parrots (Amazona amazonica). We monitored between-individual behavioral differences in enrichment-reared parrots of known personality types before, during, and after enrichment deprivation. We predicted that parrots with higher scores for neurotic-like personality traits would be more susceptible to enrichment deprivation and develop more abnormal behaviors. Our results partially supported this hypothesis, but also showed that distinct personality dimensions were related to different forms of abnormal behavior. While neuroticism-like traits were linked to feather damaging behavior, extraversion-like traits were negatively related to stereotypic behavior. More extraverted birds showed resiliency to environmental stress, developing fewer stereotypies during enrichment deprivation and showing lower levels of these behaviors following re-enrichment. Our data, together with the results of the few studies conducted on other species, suggest that, as in humans, certain personality types render individual animals more susceptible or resilient to environmental stress. Further, this susceptibility/resiliency can have a long-term effect on behavior, as evidenced by behavioral changes that persisted despite re-enrichment. Ours is the first study evaluating the relationship between personality dimensions, environment, and abnormal behaviors in an avian species.
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