PIGS are capable of feeling optimism and pessimism, according to a UK study.
News.com reports Scientists from Newcastle University, in northern England, found pigs could indicate whether they were feeling optimistic or pessimistic about life as a result of the way in which they lived.
The animals were taught to associate treats, like apples, with the sound of a glockenspiel and the unpleasant sound of a rustling plastic bag with the noise from a dog training clicker device.
They were then split into two groups and placed in different environments - one with more straw, space and stimulation and the other in a smaller, boring environment.
When scientists made a new squeaking noise, unlike the glockenspiel or clicker the pigs were familiar with, the pigs in the comfortable environment approached expecting a treat, while the animals residing in the cramped, boring, conditions were pessimistic and kept their distance.
Study leader Dr Catherine Douglas, from the university’s school of agriculture, food and rural development, said the results corresponded with humans’ “glass half empty versus glass half full” approach to life, when feelings affect judgments of ambiguous events.
“If you’re having a bad day and you’re presented with an ambiguous cue such as your boss calling you into their office, the first thing that goes through your head is what have I done wrong? We call this a negative cognitive bias.
“But on a good day you greet the same ambiguous event far more positively, you might strut in expecting a slap on the back and a pay rise,” she said.
The research, funded by Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, hoped to impact animal welfare and improve the lives of farmed stock in the UK.
Dr Douglas was part of a study last year that found cows who were given names and one-to-one attention produced more milk than unnamed cattle.
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