Individual non-human brains: Investigating the neural basis of personality in pigs
Sensory and Behavioural Biology
Biological Psychiatry
Animal Breeding, Animal Nutrition, Animal Husbandry
Final Report Abstract
Accounting for individual differences in anxiety, depression or resilience is crucial to ensure individualised well-being. Personality is reflected by differences in approach-avoidance motivations and helps to understand what animals, including humans, want and like. At the neural level, the different involvement of the behavioural activation system (BAS) and the behavioural inhibition system (BIS) results in approach or avoidance tendencies that explain personality. Interestingly, the BIS/BAS hypothesis states that BAS is processed by the left hemisphere while BIS by the right one. While humans can be classified along BIS/BAS scales through self-reports, such scales have never been validated in non-human animals. In this study we developed a BIS/BAS scale using the domestic pig (Sus scrofa) as a model. We introduce an innovative test, the BIBAGO, to investigate reactions to rewards (BAS) and approach-avoidance conflicts (BIS), by presenting a clear positive and a clear negative stimuli simultaneously. After testing 101 piglets, we showed that this test is reproducible, highly repeatable and linked with classic personality dimensions assessed with four additional personality tests. Through a graphical network approach, we show that this test reveals unexplored aspects of personality related to rewards. Using exploratory factor analysis, we demonstrate the existence of distinct individual tendencies for approach-avoidance conflicts (BIS) and reward responsiveness (BAS) which are connected to specific personality traits. Preliminary results combining BIS/BAS scores with structural MRI and resting-state functional MRI show a connection between high BAS scores and brain structures related to reward processing. This project represents the first assessment of a non-human BIS/BAS scale. While deciphering individual differences for experiencing rewards, our study will promote positive animal welfare and will serve as a basis for further research on mental health. We also developed a novel peer test (NPT) to assess sociability in pigs and link it with their social dynamics using social network analyses. Like the BIBAGO, the NPT was highly repeatable and will serve for further research on pig social competence. We did not find support for the BIS/BAS hypothesis and analyses are still ongoing to test whether the links between personality and laterality previously found are reproducible. We will discuss the implications for laterality research.Accounting for individual differences in anxiety, depression or resilience is crucial to ensure individualised well-being. Personality is reflected by differences in approach-avoidance motivations and helps to understand what animals, including humans, want and like. At the neural level, the different involvement of the behavioural activation system (BAS) and the behavioural inhibition system (BIS) results in approach or avoidance tendencies that explain personality. Interestingly, the BIS/BAS hypothesis states that BAS is processed by the left hemisphere while BIS by the right one. While humans can be classified along BIS/BAS scales through self-reports, such scales have never been validated in non-human animals. In this study we developed a BIS/BAS scale using the domestic pig (Sus scrofa) as a model. We introduce an innovative test, the BIBAGO, to investigate reactions to rewards (BAS) and approach-avoidance conflicts (BIS), by presenting a clear positive and a clear negative stimuli simultaneously. After testing 101 piglets, we showed that this test is reproducible, highly repeatable and linked with classic personality dimensions assessed with four additional personality tests. Through a graphical network approach, we show that this test reveals unexplored aspects of personality related to rewards. Using exploratory factor analysis, we demonstrate the existence of distinct individual tendencies for approach-avoidance conflicts (BIS) and reward responsiveness (BAS) which are connected to specific personality traits. Preliminary results combining BIS/BAS scores with structural MRI and resting-state functional MRI show a connection between high BAS scores and brain structures related to reward processing. This project represents the first assessment of a non-human BIS/BAS scale. While deciphering individual differences for experiencing rewards, our study will promote positive animal welfare and will serve as a basis for further research on mental health. We also developed a novel peer test (NPT) to assess sociability in pigs and link it with their social dynamics using social network analyses. Like the BIBAGO, the NPT was highly repeatable and will serve for further research on pig social competence. We did not find support for the BIS/BAS hypothesis and analyses are still ongoing to test whether the links between personality and laterality previously found are reproducible. We will discuss the implications for laterality research.
Publications
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The BIBAGO: A highly repeatable personality test to measure motivational tendencies in pigs. Regional ISAE 2023 Freiburg-Germany. KTBL-Schrift
S.C.M. Ferreira, F. De Angelis, G. Ferroni, S. Ambruosi, M. Chincarini & C. Goursot
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Familiar versus unfamiliar: Revealing the complexity of sociability in pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 275, 106248.
Ambruosi, Sarah; De Angelis, Fabiana; Chou, Jen-Yun & Goursot, Charlotte
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Weak but reproducible tendency between motor lateralisation and personality in pigs? 9th North Sea Laterality Conference, St Andrews-Scotland
S.C.M. Ferreira, G. Ferroni, F. De Angelis, S. Ambruosi, M. Chincarini & C. Goursot
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Bridging human and animal personality: A behavioral test to assess reward sensitivity. iScience, 28(10), 113487.
Ferreira, Susana C.M.; De Angelis, Fabiana; Ambruosi, Sarah; Ferroni, Giulia; Chincarini, Matteo & Goursot, Charlotte
