scholarly journals Optimising ‘Positive’ Findings from Judgement Bias Tests: A Consideration of Inherent Confounding Factors Associated with Test Design and Biology

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Whittaker ◽  
Timothy Barker
Keyword(s):  
Life Experience ◽  
Affective State ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Test Design ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Early Life Experience ◽  
Judgement Bias ◽  
State Determination ◽  
Reproductive Cycles ◽  
Test Outcomes

The assessment of positive emotional states in animals has been advanced considerably through the use of judgement bias testing. JBT methods have now been reported in a range of species. Generally, these tests show good validity as ascertained through use of corroborating methods of affective state determination. However, published reports of judgement bias task findings can be counter-intuitive and show high inter-individual variability. It is proposed that these outcomes may arise as a result of inherent inter- and intra-individual differences as a result of biology. This review discusses the potential impact of sex and reproductive cycles, social status, genetics, early life experience and personality on judgement bias test outcomes. We also discuss some aspects of test design that may interact with these factors to further confound test interpretation. There is some evidence that a range of biological factors affect judgement bias test outcomes, but in many cases this evidence is limited and needs further characterisation to reproduce the findings and confirm directions of effect. It is our proposition that researchers should consider dedicated study on these factors and their impact on judgement biasing. This is needed to confirm effect and investigate mechanisms. Alternately, consideration and reporting of these factors in JBT studies through incorporation in statistical analyses will provide much needed additional data on their impact. These actions will enhance the validity and practical applicability of the JBT for welfare assessment.

scholarly journals Judgement bias in goats (Capra hircus): investigating the effects of human grooming

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Baciadonna ◽  
Christian Nawroth ◽  
Alan G. McElligott
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Affective State ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Capra Hircus ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Bias Effect ◽  
Judgement Bias

Animal emotional states can be investigated by evaluating their impact on cognitive processes. In this study, we used a judgement bias paradigm to determine if short-term positive human-animal interaction (grooming) induced a positive affective state in goats. We tested two groups of goats and trained them to discriminate between a rewarded and a non-rewarded location over nine training days. During training, the experimental group (n= 9) was gently groomed by brushing their heads and backs for five min over 11 days (nine training days, plus two testing days, total time 55 min). During training, the control group (n= 10) did not experience any direct interaction with the experimenter, but was kept unconstrained next to him for the same period of time. After successful completion of the training, the responses (latency time) of the two groups to reach ambiguous locations situated between the two reference locations (i.e., rewarded/non-rewarded) were compared over two days of testing. There was not a positive bias effect after the animals had been groomed. In a second experiment, 10 goats were tested to investigate whether grooming induced changes in physiological activation (i.e., heart rate and heart rate variability). Heart rate increased when goats were groomed compared to the baseline condition, when the same goats did not receive any contact with the experimenter. Also, subjects did not move away from the experimenter, suggesting that the grooming was positively accepted. The very good care and the regular positive contacts that goats received from humans at the study site could potentially account for the results obtained. Good husbandry outcomes are influenced by animals’ perception of the events and this is based on current circumstances, past experiences and individual variables. Taking into account animals’ individual characteristics and identifying effective strategies to induce positive emotions could increase the understanding and reliability of using cognitive biases paradigms to investigate and promote animal welfare.

Emotional Reactivity to Visual Content as Revealed by ERP Component Clustering

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 135-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslaw Wyczesany ◽  
Szczepan J. Grzybowski ◽  
Jan Kaiser
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Affective State ◽  
Occipital Lobe ◽  
Stimulus Onset ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. In the study, the neural basis of emotional reactivity was investigated. Reactivity was operationalized as the impact of emotional pictures on the self-reported ongoing affective state. It was used to divide the subjects into high- and low-responders groups. Independent sources of brain activity were identified, localized with the DIPFIT method, and clustered across subjects to analyse the visual evoked potentials to affective pictures. Four of the identified clusters revealed effects of reactivity. The earliest two started about 120 ms from the stimulus onset and were located in the occipital lobe and the right temporoparietal junction. Another two with a latency of 200 ms were found in the orbitofrontal and the right dorsolateral cortices. Additionally, differences in pre-stimulus alpha level over the visual cortex were observed between the groups. The attentional modulation of perceptual processes is proposed as an early source of emotional reactivity, which forms an automatic mechanism of affective control. The role of top-down processes in affective appraisal and, finally, the experience of ongoing emotional states is also discussed.

scholarly journals Watching others in a positive state does not induce optimism bias in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), but leads to behaviour indicative of competition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. C. Adriaense ◽  
V. Šlipogor ◽  
S. Hintze ◽  
L. Marshall ◽  
C. Lamm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Contagion ◽  
Negative Control ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Common Marmosets ◽  
Optimism Bias ◽  
Negative State ◽  
Group Life ◽  
Judgement Bias ◽  
Negative Condition ◽  
Positive State

AbstractEmotional contagion is suggested to facilitate group life by enhancing synchronized responses to the environment. Cooperative breeders are an example of a social system that requires such intricate coordination between individuals. Therefore, we studied emotional contagion in common marmosets by means of a judgement bias test. Demonstrators were exposed to an emotion manipulation (i.e., positive, negative, control), and observers perceived only the demonstrator’s behaviour. We predicted that the positive or negative states of the demonstrator would induce matching states in the observer, indicating emotional contagion. All subjects’ emotional states were assessed through behaviour and cognition, the latter by means of a judgement bias test. Behavioural results showed a successful emotion manipulation of demonstrators, with manipulation-congruent expressions (i.e., positive calls in the positive condition, and negative calls and pilo-erect tail in the negative condition). Observers showed no manipulation-congruent expressions, but showed more scratching and arousal after the positive manipulation. Concerning the judgement bias test, we predicted that subjects in a positive state should increase their response to ambiguous cues (i.e., optimism bias), and subjects in a negative state should decrease their response (i.e., pessimism bias). This prediction was not supported as neither demonstrators nor observers showed such bias in either manipulation. Yet, demonstrators showed an increased response to the near-positive cue, and additional analyses showed unexpected responses to the reference cues, as well as a researcher identity effect. We discuss all results combined, including recently raised validation concerns of the judgement bias test, and inherent challenges to empirically studying emotional contagion.

scholarly journals Rearing experience with ramps improves specific learning and behaviour and welfare on a commercial laying farm

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate I. Norman ◽  
Claire A. Weeks ◽  
John F. Tarlton ◽  
Christine J. Nicol
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Life Experience ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Welfare Benefits ◽  
Early Life Experience ◽  
Bone Damage ◽  
Specific Learning

AbstractTo access resources in commercial laying houses hens must move between levels with agility to avoid injury. This study considered whether providing ramps during rear improved the ability of birds to transition between levels. Twelve commercial flocks (2000 birds/flock) on a multi-age site were examined between 1 and 40 weeks of age. All birds had access to elevated perching structures from 4 days of age. Six treatment flocks were also provided with ramps during rear to facilitate access to these structures. Flocks were visited three times during rear and three times at lay to record transitioning behaviour and use of the elevated structures, together with scores for keel bone and feather damage. Ramp reared flocks used the elevated structures to a greater extent at rear (P = 0.001) and at lay, when all flocks had ramps, showed less hesitancy [i.e. pacing (P = 0.002), crouching (P = 0.001) and wing-flapping (P = 0.001)] in accessing levels. Mean levels of keel bone damage were reduced in ramp reared flocks (52%) compared with control flocks (64.8%) at 40 weeks of age (P = 0.028). The early life experience of the ramp reared flocks enabled specific learning that translated and persisted in later life and resulted in overall welfare benefits.

scholarly journals Early-Life Experience, Epigenetics, and the Developing Brain

2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Kundakovic ◽  
Frances A Champagne
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Life Experience ◽  
Developing Brain ◽  
Early Life Experience

scholarly journals Serotonin deficiency alters susceptibility to the long-term consequences of adverse early life experience

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 69-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin D. Sachs ◽  
Ramona M. Rodriguiz ◽  
Ha L. Tran ◽  
Akshita Iyer ◽  
William C. Wetsel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Life Experience ◽  
Early Life Experience ◽  
Serotonin Deficiency ◽  
Long Term Consequences

scholarly journals What does a neuron learn from multisensory experience?

2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 883-889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinghong Xu ◽  
Liping Yu ◽  
Terrence R. Stanford ◽  
Benjamin A. Rowland ◽  
Barry E. Stein
Keyword(s):  
Superior Colliculus ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Life Experience ◽  
Sensory Experience ◽  
Rearing Environment ◽  
Early Life Experience ◽  
Environmental Events ◽  
Cat Superior Colliculus ◽  
Maturational Process ◽  
Multisensory Experience

The brain's ability to integrate information from different senses is acquired only after extensive sensory experience. However, whether early life experience instantiates a general integrative capacity in multisensory neurons or one limited to the particular cross-modal stimulus combinations to which one has been exposed is not known. By selectively restricting either visual-nonvisual or auditory-nonauditory experience during the first few months of life, the present study found that trisensory neurons in cat superior colliculus (as well as their bisensory counterparts) became adapted to the cross-modal stimulus combinations specific to each rearing environment. Thus, even at maturity, trisensory neurons did not integrate all cross-modal stimulus combinations to which they were capable of responding, but only those that had been linked via experience to constitute a coherent spatiotemporal event. This selective maturational process determines which environmental events will become the most effective targets for superior colliculus-mediated shifts of attention and orientation.

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