Better, Not Just More—Contrast in Qualitative Aspects of Reward Facilitates Impulse Control in Pigs
Delay-of-gratification paradigms, such as the famous “Marshmallow Test,” are designed to investigate the complex cognitive concepts of self-control and impulse control in humans and animals. Such tests determine whether a subject will demonstrate impulse control by choosing a large, delayed reward o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02099/full |
| _version_ | 1819060345143033856 |
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| author | Manuela Zebunke Manuela Zebunke Maren Kreiser Maren Kreiser Maren Kreiser Nina Melzer Jan Langbein Birger Puppe Birger Puppe |
| author_facet | Manuela Zebunke Manuela Zebunke Maren Kreiser Maren Kreiser Maren Kreiser Nina Melzer Jan Langbein Birger Puppe Birger Puppe |
| author_sort | Manuela Zebunke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Delay-of-gratification paradigms, such as the famous “Marshmallow Test,” are designed to investigate the complex cognitive concepts of self-control and impulse control in humans and animals. Such tests determine whether a subject will demonstrate impulse control by choosing a large, delayed reward over an immediate, but smaller reward. Documented relationships between impulsive behavior and aggression in humans and animals suggest important implications for farm animal husbandry and welfare, especially in terms of inadequate social behavior, tail biting and maternal behavior. In a preliminary study, we investigated whether the extent of impulse control would differ between quantitatively and qualitatively different aspects of reward in pigs. Twenty female piglets were randomly divided into two groups, with 10 piglets each. After a preference test to determine individual reward preference among six different food items, a discrimination test was conducted to train for successful discrimination between different amounts of reward (one piece vs. four pieces) and different qualitative aspects of reward (highly preferred vs. least preferred food item). Then, an increasing delay (2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32 s) was introduced for the larger/highly preferred reward. Each piglet could choose to get the smaller/least preferred reward immediately or to wait for the larger/highly preferred reward. Piglets showed clear differences in their preference for food items. Moreover, the “quality group” displayed faster learning in the discrimination test (number of sessions until 90% of the animals completed the discrimination test: “quality group”−3 days vs. “quantity group”−5 days) and reached a higher level of impulse control in the delay-of-gratification test compared to the “quantity group” (maximum delay that was mastered: “quality group”−24 s vs. “quantity group”−8 s). These results demonstrate that impulse control is present in piglets but that the opportunity to get a highly preferred reward is more valued than the opportunity to get more of a given reward. This outcome also underlines the crucial role of motivation in cognitive test paradigms. Further investigations will examine whether impulse control is related to traits that are relevant to animal husbandry and welfare. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T14:25:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d0505cf37d0d4b2bb38810a7d7346e93 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T14:25:31Z |
| publishDate | 2018-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-d0505cf37d0d4b2bb38810a7d7346e932022-12-21T19:00:40ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782018-11-01910.3389/fpsyg.2018.02099401454Better, Not Just More—Contrast in Qualitative Aspects of Reward Facilitates Impulse Control in PigsManuela Zebunke0Manuela Zebunke1Maren Kreiser2Maren Kreiser3Maren Kreiser4Nina Melzer5Jan Langbein6Birger Puppe7Birger Puppe8Institute of Genetics and Biometry, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, GermanyInstitute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, GermanyInstitute of Genetics and Biometry, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, GermanyInstitute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, GermanyBehavioural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, GermanyInstitute of Genetics and Biometry, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, GermanyInstitute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, GermanyInstitute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, GermanyBehavioural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, GermanyDelay-of-gratification paradigms, such as the famous “Marshmallow Test,” are designed to investigate the complex cognitive concepts of self-control and impulse control in humans and animals. Such tests determine whether a subject will demonstrate impulse control by choosing a large, delayed reward over an immediate, but smaller reward. Documented relationships between impulsive behavior and aggression in humans and animals suggest important implications for farm animal husbandry and welfare, especially in terms of inadequate social behavior, tail biting and maternal behavior. In a preliminary study, we investigated whether the extent of impulse control would differ between quantitatively and qualitatively different aspects of reward in pigs. Twenty female piglets were randomly divided into two groups, with 10 piglets each. After a preference test to determine individual reward preference among six different food items, a discrimination test was conducted to train for successful discrimination between different amounts of reward (one piece vs. four pieces) and different qualitative aspects of reward (highly preferred vs. least preferred food item). Then, an increasing delay (2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32 s) was introduced for the larger/highly preferred reward. Each piglet could choose to get the smaller/least preferred reward immediately or to wait for the larger/highly preferred reward. Piglets showed clear differences in their preference for food items. Moreover, the “quality group” displayed faster learning in the discrimination test (number of sessions until 90% of the animals completed the discrimination test: “quality group”−3 days vs. “quantity group”−5 days) and reached a higher level of impulse control in the delay-of-gratification test compared to the “quantity group” (maximum delay that was mastered: “quality group”−24 s vs. “quantity group”−8 s). These results demonstrate that impulse control is present in piglets but that the opportunity to get a highly preferred reward is more valued than the opportunity to get more of a given reward. This outcome also underlines the crucial role of motivation in cognitive test paradigms. Further investigations will examine whether impulse control is related to traits that are relevant to animal husbandry and welfare.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02099/fullimpulsivitydelay of gratificationdelay choice taskdiscrimination learningreward learningpreference test |
| spellingShingle | Manuela Zebunke Manuela Zebunke Maren Kreiser Maren Kreiser Maren Kreiser Nina Melzer Jan Langbein Birger Puppe Birger Puppe Better, Not Just More—Contrast in Qualitative Aspects of Reward Facilitates Impulse Control in Pigs Frontiers in Psychology impulsivity delay of gratification delay choice task discrimination learning reward learning preference test |
| title | Better, Not Just More—Contrast in Qualitative Aspects of Reward Facilitates Impulse Control in Pigs |
| title_full | Better, Not Just More—Contrast in Qualitative Aspects of Reward Facilitates Impulse Control in Pigs |
| title_fullStr | Better, Not Just More—Contrast in Qualitative Aspects of Reward Facilitates Impulse Control in Pigs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Better, Not Just More—Contrast in Qualitative Aspects of Reward Facilitates Impulse Control in Pigs |
| title_short | Better, Not Just More—Contrast in Qualitative Aspects of Reward Facilitates Impulse Control in Pigs |
| title_sort | better not just more contrast in qualitative aspects of reward facilitates impulse control in pigs |
| topic | impulsivity delay of gratification delay choice task discrimination learning reward learning preference test |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02099/full |
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