Environment Affects Mood of Pigs, Researchers Claim
Submitted on Aug 13, 2010 (Original item from 2010)
Farmed Animals | General Animal Protection | Animal Advocacy | International Research
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Short Description:
Research from the Newcastle University School of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Development (England) finds that a pig's emotion and contentment are directly related to the quality of their living conditions, with the research underscoring that pigs are capable of complex emotion.
Abstract:
In this study, scientists "asked" pigs if they were optimistic or pessimistic about their life, based on their habitats. Pigs were taught to associate a note from a glockenspiel with a positive experience and a clicker with a negative one. Subsequently, half were placed in an enriched environment with more space, freedom, and toys, while the others were placed in smaller, more boring surroundings. Researchers then played ambiguous noises, observing that the pigs in the more boring environment were more pessimistic about the noise, not approaching the treat, while the pigs in the more stimulating environment were more optimistic about the noise and approached the treat.
Spot Check Number:
1445
Sponsor:
Newcastle University School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
Animal Type:
Pigs
Record Type:
News Article
Research Method:
Experimental/Modeling/Applications
Geographic Region:
International
Number of Participants:
Unknown
Population Descriptors:
Pigs
Year Conducted:
2010
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