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Bernstein-Kurtycz LM, Vonk J, Carroscia JM, Koester DC, Snyder RJ, Willis MA, Lukas KE. Lack of reinforcement is hard to "bear": Assessing judgment bias in grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos horribilis). J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2024:1-14. [PMID: 38363302 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2024.2315042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive biases reveal underlying affective state by indicating optimism and pessimism. This methodology may permit assessment of positive welfare in animals that have few validated positive welfare indicators, such as bears. Our goal was to validate a judgment bias test for assessing optimism in brown bears, using a touchscreen. After training the bears on a conditional discrimination, we compared responses to an ambiguous stimulus in a 2 × 2 nested design involving four experimental conditions representing presence or absence of a behind-the-scenes tour and presence or absence of a keeper training session with food reinforcement. We recorded bears' behavior during the conditions as a measure of convergent validity. Testing revealed the possibility of pessimism in the absence of reinforcement in one bear. More frustration behaviors were also observed during the no food reinforcement conditions. This is the first experimental demonstration of brown bears using a touchscreen and one of only three reports in which bears have been reported to perform a conditional discrimination. This method of assessing underlying affective state shows promise for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Bernstein-Kurtycz
- Conservation and Science, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jennifer Vonk
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA
| | | | - Diana C Koester
- Conservation and Science, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - Mark A Willis
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Kristen E Lukas
- Conservation and Science, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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