Equine preferences for food rewards versus human contact and implications for interspecies social bonding

The primary focus of the dissertation is to study horse preference for human contact versus food rewards. The study uses horses' ability to differentiate between visual symbols with different meanings in order to test the horses' preference for human contact versus food reward. Humans use food rewards as positive reinforcement for training horses, but there is little evidence to show that human contact (scratching or patting) has reward value for horses or if domestic horses perceive human touch as social bonding. Most horse training is based on negative reinforcement, but food is a known positive reinforcer. This study looks at how horses may perceive human interaction as a form of positive reward by examining whether scratching and patting can serve as a reward for a behavior and how this compares to known rewards (treats) based on horses' ability to use symbols to show preferences. The second purpose of this study is to explore horse-human social bonding opportunities based on the unique backgrounds of each horse subject and variations in behaviors towards known and unknown humans. The study counted the number of times each horse touched each target (touch counts) and recorded any behaviors. The touch counts for each symbol for the last trial were compared using Observation Oriented Modelling (OOM), a non-parametric approach to analyze patterns in data. Based on the observed pattern analysis of touch counts, all horses in this studied showed preference for treats over human contact, regardless of handling or training histories. Analysis of behavioral changes during each testing session shows that each horse demonstrated states of arousal which supports existing literature that novel food increases arousal in horses. Emerging research in equine ethology suggests that horses only touch conspecifics with whom they have already bonded and this touch is always mutual and takes place after periods of arousal. The human need for touch and food exchange for purposes of social bonding may not align with the social needs of horses

Differences in Learning from Complex Versus Simple Visual Interfaces When Operating a Model Excavator

The goal of this study was to test two visual co-robot interfaces (one simple and one more complex) and their effectiveness in teaching a novice participant to operate a complex machine at a later date without assistance. Participants (N = 113) were randomly assigned to one of three groups (one with a basic user interface, one with a more complex guidance interface, and one without an interface) to test the teaching ability of the co-robot in training the user to perform a task with a remote-controlled excavator. Each group was asked to load dirt from a bin into a small model dump truck (in scale with the excavator) with the help of the robot instructor and were asked to return a few days later to complete the task again without the robot instructor. Trials were monitored for completion time and errors and compared to those of an expert operator. The result was that the simple interface was slightly more effective than the more complex version at teaching humans a complicated task. This suggests that novices may learn better and retain more information when given basic feedback (using operant conditioning principles) and less guidance from robot teachers. As robots are increasingly used to help humans learn skills, industries may benefit from simpler guided instructions rather than more complex versions. Such changes in training may result in improved situational awareness and increased safety in the workplace.Psycholog

Why Asia Needs Comparative Psychology: Applications in Canine-Human, and Equine-Human Interactions

This article provides a brief history and description of comparative psychology and provides perspectives about the current state of comparative psychology and unique research opportunities in Asia. An argument is made for why comparative psychology is needed in Asia and practical, teaching, and other aspects and applications are discussed. The application of comparative psychology in equine-human and canine-human interactions and therapies are highlighted

Emotion Recognition in Horses with Convolutional Neural Networks

Creating intelligent systems capable of recognizing emotions is a difficult task, especially when looking at emotions in animals. This paper describes the process of designing a "proof of concept" system to recognize emotions in horses. This system is formed by two elements, a detector and a model. The detector is a fast region-based convolutional neural network that detects horses in an image. The model is a convolutional neural network that predicts the emotions of those horses. These two elements were trained with multiple images of horses until they achieved high accuracy in their tasks. In total, 400 images of horses were collected and labeled to train both the detector and the model while 40 were used to test the system. Once the two components were validated, they were combined into a testable system that would detect equine emotions based on established behavioral ethograms indicating emotional affect through head, neck, ear, muzzle and eye position. The system showed an accuracy of 80% on the validation set and 65% on the test set, demonstrating that it is possible to predict emotions in animals using autonomous intelligent systems. Such a system has multiple applications including further studies in the growing field of animal emotions as well as in the veterinary field to determine the physical welfare of horses or other livestock.Comment: 14 pages, 11figure

The Importance of Comparative Psychology in Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies

Practitioners of Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT) use it to help individuals suffering from a wide range of physical and psychological disorders as an alternative practice in physical and psychotherapy.  Although there is plenty of research to support the benefits of these therapies, there is little research in equine behavior in this context, specifically how equine behaviors can best be utilized to improve the health of the human component.  Although much of EAAT uses horses in physical therapy, newer practices in EAAT focus on assisting individuals in building and improving interpersonal skills through practicing those skills with horses.  To fully understand and develop this area of EAAT, researchers need to look at the behavioral patterns of horses, how they learn and adapt to changes in human emotions and behaviors, and how these behaviors correspond to bonding with regards to friendships and relationships within the context of equine-human interactions.  To do this, scientists need to rely upon the principles of learning theory and behavioral sciences associated with comparative psychology.  The scientific methods used in comparative psychology are critical for researching these areas of EAAT

The Importance of Comparative Psychology in Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies

Practitioners of Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT) use it to help individuals suffering from a wide range of physical and psychological disorders as an alternative practice in physical and psychotherapy.  Although there is plenty of research to support the benefits of these therapies, there is little research in equine behavior in this context, specifically how equine behaviors can best be utilized to improve the health of the human component.  Although much of EAAT uses horses in physical therapy, newer practices in EAAT focus on assisting individuals in building and improving interpersonal skills through practicing those skills with horses.  To fully understand and develop this area of EAAT, researchers need to look at the behavioral patterns of horses, how they learn and adapt to changes in human emotions and behaviors, and how these behaviors correspond to bonding with regards to friendships and relationships within the context of equine-human interactions.  To do this, scientists need to rely upon the principles of learning theory and behavioral sciences associated with comparative psychology.  The scientific methods used in comparative psychology are critical for researching these areas of EAAT

CONDITIONING METHODS FOR ANIMALS IN AGRICULTURE: A REVIEW

This article briefly describes different conditioning techniques used to help understand learning in farm livestock and economically important animals. A basic overview of conditioning is included along with the importance of different conditioning methods, associative and non-associative learning, and how these principles apply to chickens, horses, cows, goats, pigs, swine, and sheep.  Additional information on learning theory specific for each animal is also provided.  Keywords: conditioning, training, operant, classical, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pig