scholarly journals Evaluating the Reaction to a Complex Rotated Object in the American Quarter Horse (Equus caballus)

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1383
Author(s):  
Megan Elizabeth Corgan ◽  
Temple Grandin ◽  
Sarah Matlock
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Equus Caballus ◽  
T Test ◽  
Complex Object ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Novel Object ◽  
Quarter Horse ◽  
First Pass ◽  
Young Horses ◽  
Familiar Objects

It is dangerous for both riders and horses when a horse suddenly startles. Sometimes horses do this in familiar environments because familiar objects may look different when rotated. The purpose of this study was to determine whether horses that had been habituated to a complex object (children’s playset) would react to the object as novel when rotated 90 degrees. Twenty young horses were led past the playset 15 times by a handler. Next, the rotated group was led past the rotated playset 15 times. Each time the horse was led by the object was a pass. The behavioral responses observed and analyzed were ears focused on the object, nostril flares, neck raising, snort, avoid by stopping, avoid by moving feet sideways, and avoid by flight. An increasing reactivity scale was used to quantify behavioral responses. A two-sample t-test was performed on the reactivity scores comparing the first pass by the novel object to the first pass by the rotated object. The horses in the rotated group reacted to the rotated orientation similarly to the first exposure (p = 0.001, α < 0.05). Being aware of potential reactions to changes in previously familiar environments can help keep the handler safer.

scholarly journals Disfluencies signal reference to novel objects for adults but not children

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 581-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J. OWENS ◽  
Justine M. THACKER ◽  
Susan A. GRAHAM
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Novel Object ◽  
Filled Pauses ◽  
Novel Objects ◽  
Novel Targets ◽  
The Way ◽  
Familiar Objects

AbstractSpeech disfluencies can guide the ways in which listeners interpret spoken language. Here, we examined whether three-year-olds, five-year-olds, and adults use filled pauses to anticipate that a speaker is likely to refer to a novel object. Across three experiments, participants were presented with pairs of novel and familiar objects and heard a speaker refer to one of the objects using a fluent (“Look at the ball/lep!”) or disfluent (“Look at thee uh ball/lep!”) expression. The salience of the speaker's unfamiliarity with the novel referents, and the way in which the speaker referred to the novel referents (i.e., a noun vs. a description) varied across experiments. Three- and five-year-olds successfully identified familiar and novel targets, but only adults’ looking patterns reflected increased looks to novel objects in the presence of a disfluency. Together, these findings demonstrate that adults, but not young children, use filled pauses to anticipate reference to novel objects.

scholarly journals 6 Evaluating the recognition of a large rotated object in domestic horses (equus caballus)

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Megan E Corgan ◽  
Temple Grandin ◽  
Sarah Matlock
Keyword(s):  
Equus Caballus ◽  
Wilcoxon Test ◽  
Large Object ◽  
Behavioral Reactions ◽  
Novel Object ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Domestic Horses ◽  
Familiar Environment ◽  
Young Horses ◽  
Possible Cause

Abstract It is dangerous for both riders and horses when the horse suddenly startles. Sometimes horses do this in a familiar environment, with a possible cause being that familiar objects may look different when they are rotated. The purpose of this study was to determine if a horse that had been habituated to a large object (children’s plastic playset) would perceive the object as novel when the object was rotated 90 degrees. Twenty-four young horses were habituated to one side of the playset and led 15 times by a handler until they showed no behavioral reactions. The behavioral signs observed and analyzed were ears focused on the object, nostril flares, neck raising, obvious exhale, avoid by leaning away, and avoid by moving side. The most common reactions observed were ears focused on the object, nostril flares and neck raising. Reactions were mild, because the horses used were safe to lead and all procedures were done at a walk. When the playset was rotated, the behavioral signs observed were similar to behaviors shown on the first exposure to the playset. An unpaired two-sample Wilcoxon test was performed on the behavioral signs, comparing the number of behavioral signs present on pass 1 compared to pass 16 (rotated). There was a significant difference between the control and rotated group (W = 9.5, P = 0.001572, P &lt; 0.05). Horses previously habituated to a large object perceived the rotated object as novel. Horse safety can possibly be improved by habituating a horse to all sides of a novel object.

scholarly journals Population colonization history influences behavioral responses of European starlings in personality tests

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Rodriguez ◽  
Martine Hausberger ◽  
Patricia Le Quilliec ◽  
Laurence Henri ◽  
Philippe Clergeau
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Behavioral Flexibility ◽  
The Novel ◽  
European Starlings ◽  
Novel Object ◽  
Novel Food ◽  
Novel Environment ◽  
Migrant Birds

To understand the processes involved in biological invasions, the genetic, morphological, physiological and behavioral characteristics of invasive populations need to be understood. Many invasive species have been reported to be flying species. In birds, both invaders and migrants encounter novel situations, therefore one could expect that both groups might react similarly to novelty. Here we analyzed the behavioral responses of individuals from three populations of European starling Sturnus vulgaris: a population settled for centuries in a rural region, a population that recently colonized an urban area, and a population of winter migrant birds. We conducted a social isolation test, a novel environment test, a novel food test and a novel object test to explore their reactions towards novelty. We identified and characterized different behavioral profiles for each test. The group of migratory adults appeared to be less anxious in social isolation than the group of urban young. Urban and migrant groups entered the novel environment sooner than rural birds. Shy, bold and intermediate individuals were observed in all three groups when presented with novel food. Finally, the proportion of shy individuals which did not touch the novel object was higher than the proportion of bold individuals in the rural group. Our study emphasizes that neophilia or boldness present in migrant and invasive populations may facilitate the occupation of novel habitats. Our analysis also suggests that mixed reactions of neophobia ensure behavioral flexibility in a gregarious invasive species.

scholarly journals Exploratory behaviour towards novel objects is associated with enhanced learning in young horses

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne Winther Christensen ◽  
Line Peerstrup Ahrendt ◽  
Jens Malmkvist ◽  
Christine Nicol
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Intrinsic Factor ◽  
Learning Performance ◽  
Exploratory Behaviour ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Novel Object ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
Novel Objects ◽  
Young Horses ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe mechanisms underlying individual variation in learning are key to understanding the development of cognitive abilities. In humans and primates, curiosity has been suggested as an important intrinsic factor that enhances learning, whereas in domesticated species research has primarily identified factors with a negative effect on cognitive abilities, such as stress and fearfulness. This study presents the first evidence of a link between object-directed curiosity and learning performance in young horses in two very different learning tasks (visual discrimination and pressure-release). We exposed young horses (n = 44) to standardised novel object tests at 5 months and 1 year of age and found consistency in responses. Standard indicators of fearfulness (e.g. heart rate and alertness) were unrelated to learning performance, whereas exploratory behaviour towards the novel objects correlated to performance in both learning tasks. Exploratory behaviour was unreinforced in the novel object tests and likely reflects the animal’s intrinsic motivation (i.e. curiosity), suggesting that this trait is favourable for learning performance. In addition to the insights that these results provide into cognition in a domesticated species, they also raise questions in relation to fostering of curiosity in animals and the impact that such manipulation may have on cognitive abilities.

scholarly journals Eighteen-month-olds selectively generalize words from accurate speakers to novel contexts

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Luchkina ◽  
David Sobel ◽  
James Morgan
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Novel Object ◽  
Novel Objects ◽  
Familiar Objects

The present studies examine whether and how 18-month-olds use informants' accuracy to acquire novel labels for novel objects and generalize them to a new context. In Experiment 1, two speakers made statements about the labels of familiar objects. One used accurate labels and the other used inaccurate labels. One of these speakers then introduced novel labels for two novel objects. At test, toddlers saw those two novel objects and heard an unfamiliar voice say one of the labels provided by the speaker. Only toddlers who had heard the novel labels introduced by the accurate speaker looked at the appropriate novel object above chance. Experiment 2 explored possible mechanisms underlying this difference in generalization. Rather than making statements about familiar objects' labels, both speakers asked questions about the objects' labels, with one speaker using accurate labels and the other using inaccurate labels. Toddlers' generalization of novel labels for novel objects was at chance for both speakers, suggesting that toddlers do not simply associate hearing the accurate label with the reliability of the speaker. We discuss these results in terms of potential mechanisms by which children learn and generalize novel labels across contexts from speaker reliability.

scholarly journals Individual Behavioral and Physiological Responses During Different Experimental Situations – Consistency over Time and Effects of Context

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Safryghin ◽  
Denise V. Hebesberger ◽  
Claudia A.F. Wascher
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Behavioral Activity ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Behavioral Differences ◽  
Behavioral Experiments ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Novel Object

AbstractIn a number of species, consistent behavioral differences between individuals have been described in standardized tests, e.g. novel object exploration, open field test. Different behavioral expressions are reflective of different coping strategies of individuals in stressful situations. A causal link between behavioral responses and the activation of the physiological stress response is assumed but not thoroughly studied. Also, most standard paradigms investigating individual behavioral differences, are framed in a fearful context, therefore the present study aimed to add a test in a more positive context, the feeding context. We assessed individual differences in physiological (heart rate, HR) and behavioral responses (presence or absence of pawing, startle response, defecation, snorting) of twenty domestic horses (Equus caballus) in two behavioral experiments, a novel object presentation and a pre-feeding excitement test. Experiments were conducted twice, in summer and autumn. Both experiments caused higher mean HR in the first ten seconds after stimulus presentation compared to a control condition, but mean HR did not differ between the experimental conditions. Interestingly, in the novel object experiment, horses displaying stress-related behaviors during the experiments also showed a significantly higher HR increase compared to horses which did not display any stress-related behaviors, reflecting a correlation between behavioral and physiological responses to the novel object. On the contrary, in the pre-feeding experiments, horses that showed fewer behavioral responses had a greater HR increase, indicating the physiological response being due to emotional arousal and not behavioral activity. Moreover, HR response to experimental situations varied significantly between individuals, and although we found HR to be significantly repeatable across experiments, repeatability indices were low. In conclusion, our findings show that horses’ behavioral and physiological responses differed between test situations and that high emotional reactivity, shown via mean HR and HR increase, is not always displayed behaviorally.

scholarly journals Response of male and female domestic chicks to change in the number (quantity) of imprinting objects

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastien S. Lemaire ◽  
Rosa Rugani ◽  
Lucia Regolin ◽  
Giorgio Vallortigara
Keyword(s):  
Sex Difference ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Novel Object ◽  
Domestic Chicks ◽  
The Social ◽  
Novel Objects ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Familiar Objects

Abstract When facing two sets of imprinting objects of different numerousness, domestic chicks prefer to approach the larger one. Given that choice for familiar and novel stimuli in imprinting situations is known to be affected by the sex of the animals, we investigated how male and female domestic chicks divide the time spent in the proximity of a familiar versus an unfamiliar number of objects, and how animals interact (by pecking) with these objects. We confirmed that chicks discriminate among the different numerousnesses, but we also showed that females and males behave differently, depending on the degree of familiarity of the objects. When objects in the testing sets were all familiar, females equally explored both sets and pecked at all objects individually. Males instead selectively approached the familiar numerousness and pecked more at it. When both testing sets comprised familiar as well as novel objects, both males and females approached the larger numerousness of familiar objects. However, chicks directed all their pecks toward the novel object within the set. Differences in the behavior of males and females can be accounted for in terms of sex difference in the motivation to reinstate social contact with the familiar objects and to explore novel ones, likely associated with the ecology and the social structure of the species before domestication.

Responses of Protein Malnourished Rats to Novel Objects

1972 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 319-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert R. Zimmermann ◽  
Stephanie J. Zimmermann
Keyword(s):  
Open Field ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Novel Object ◽  
Experimental Animals ◽  
Novel Objects ◽  
History Of ◽  
Environmental Stimulation ◽  
Familiar Objects

Rats deprived of normal amounts of protein early in life and then rehabilitated were placed in an open field in the presence of either familiar or novel objects. In the presence of the familiar objects, the experimental animals did not differ from controls. In the presence of the novel object, animals with a history of early malnutrition were less active than controls. The data are consistent with other findings that indicate that the rat suffering early malnutrition reacts more emotionally to environmental stimulation.

scholarly journals The Embodiment of Insult: A Theory of Biobehavioral Response to Workplace Incivility

2021 ◽  
pp. 014920632198979
Author(s):  
Lilia M. Cortina ◽  
M. Sandy Hershcovis ◽  
Kathryn B. H. Clancy
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Workplace Incivility ◽  
The Body ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Target Response ◽  
Organizational Life ◽  
New Science ◽  
Broad Theory

This article builds a broad theory to explain how people respond, both biologically and behaviorally, when targeted with incivility in organizations. Central to our theorizing is a multifaceted framework that yields four quadrants of target response: reciprocation, retreat, relationship repair, and recruitment of support. We advance the novel argument that these behaviors not only stem from biological change within the body but also stimulate such change. Behavioral responses that revolve around affiliation and produce positive social connections are most likely to bring biological benefits. However, social and cultural features of an organization can stand in the way of affiliation, especially for employees holding marginalized identities. When incivility persists over time and employees lack access to the resources needed to recover, we theorize, downstream consequences can include harms to their physical health. Like other aspects of organizational life, this biobehavioral theory of incivility response is anything but simple. But it may help explain how seemingly “small” insults can sometimes have large effects, ultimately undermining workforce well-being. It may also suggest novel sites for incivility intervention, focusing on the relational and inclusive side of work. The overarching goal of this article is to motivate new science on workplace incivility, new knowledge, and ultimately, new solutions.

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