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Author Ahrendt, L.P.; Labouriau, R.; Malmkvist, J.; Nicol, C.J.; Christensen, J.W. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Development of a standard test to assess negative reinforcement learning in horses Type Journal Article
  Year 2015 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 169 Issue Pages 38-42  
  Keywords Algometry; Horse behaviour; Learning performance; Operant conditioning; Pressure-release; Horse training  
  Abstract (up) Most horses are trained by negative reinforcement. Currently, however, no standardised test for evaluating horses' negative reinforcement learning ability is available. The aim of this study was to develop an objective test to investigate negative reinforcement learning in horses. Twenty-four Icelandic horses (3 years old) were included in this study. The horses were tested in a pressure-release task on three separate days with 10, 7 and 5 trials on each side, respectively. Each trial consisted of pressure being applied on the hindquarter with an algometer. The force of the pressure was increased until the horse moved laterally away from the point of pressure. There was a significant decrease in required force over trials on the first test day (P<0.001), but not the second and third day. The intercepts on days 2 and 3 differed significantly from day 1 (P<0.001), but not each other. Significantly stronger force was required on the right side compared to the left (P<0.001), but there was no difference between first and second side tested (P=0.56). Individual performance was evaluated by median-force and the change in force over trials on the first test day. These two measures may explain different characteristics of negative reinforcement learning. In conclusion, this study presents a novel, standardised test for evaluating negative reinforcement learning ability in horses.  
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  ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 6650  
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Author Collier-Baker, E.; Davis, J.M.; Nielsen, M.; Suddendorf, T. doi  openurl
  Title Do chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) understand single invisible displacement? Type Journal Article
  Year 2006 Publication Animal Cognition Abbreviated Journal Anim. Cogn.  
  Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 55-61  
  Keywords Animals; Behavior, Animal; *Cognition; Male; Pan troglodytes/*psychology; *Space Perception; *Spatial Behavior; Task Performance and Analysis; *Visual Perception  
  Abstract (up) Previous research suggests that chimpanzees understand single invisible displacement. However, this Piagetian task may be solvable through the use of simple search strategies rather than through mentally representing the past trajectory of an object. Four control conditions were thus administered to two chimpanzees in order to separate associative search strategies from performance based on mental representation. Strategies involving experimenter cue-use, search at the last or first box visited by the displacement device, and search at boxes adjacent to the displacement device were systematically controlled for. Chimpanzees showed no indications of utilizing these simple strategies, suggesting that their capacity to mentally represent single invisible displacements is comparable to that of 18-24-month-old children.  
  Address Early Cognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia. e.collier-baker@psy.uq.edu.au  
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  ISSN 1435-9448 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:16163481 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2482  
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Author Thoren Hellsten, E.; Viklund, A.; Koenen, E.P.C.; Ricard, A.; Bruns, E.; Philipsson, J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Review of genetic parameters estimated at stallion and young horse performance tests and their correlations with later results in dressage and show-jumping competition Type Journal Article
  Year 2006 Publication Livestock Science Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 103 Issue 1-2 Pages 1-12  
  Keywords Genetic parameters; Sport horse; Performance test; Competition; Dressage; Show-jumping  
  Abstract (up) Results from performance tests and competitions of young horses are used by major European warmblood horse breeding associations for genetic evaluations. The aim of this review was to compare genetic parameters for various tests of young horses to assess their efficiency in selection for dressage and show-jumping. Improved understanding of genetic information across countries is also necessary, as foreign trade with semen is rapidly increasing. The review is based on inquiries to European breed associations and on (17) scientific publications available, which have analysed genetic parameters of young horse data and/or relationships between young and mature horse results in sport. Despite differences in testing methods of young horses, results for major horse populations were in good agreement. Specially designed young horse performance tests, including stallion tests, showed high heritabilities and high genetic correlations with later competition results. We recommend that test results are encouraged to be used across countries for genetic evaluation of imported stallions and semen. Short station tests are generally preferred when selecting stallions for both dressage and jumping traits, whereas competition data may be used when selecting for only one discipline. We also recommend that extensive field testing of young horses is encouraged and should include both genders.  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 3951  
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Author Roitberg, E.; Franz, H. doi  openurl
  Title Oddity learning by African dwarf goats ( Capra hircus) Type Journal Article
  Year 2004 Publication Animal Cognition Abbreviated Journal Anim. Cogn.  
  Volume 7 Issue 1 Pages 61-67  
  Keywords Animals; *Cues; Female; Goats/*physiology; *Pattern Recognition, Visual; *Task Performance and Analysis  
  Abstract (up) Seventeen African dwarf goats (adult females) were trained on oddity tasks using an automated learning device. One odd stimulus and three identical nonodd stimuli were presented on a screen divided into four sectors; the sector for the odd stimulus was varied pseudorandomly. Responses to the odd stimulus were deemed to be correct and were reinforced with food. In phase 1, the goats were trained on eight stimulus configurations. From trial to trial the odd discriminandum was either a + symbol or the letter S, and the nonodd discriminandum was the symbol not used as the odd one. In phase 2, the animals were similarly trained using an unfilled triangle or a filled (i.e., solid black) circle. In phase 3, three new discriminanda were used, an unfilled, small circle with radiating lines, an unfilled heart-shaped symbol, and an unfilled oval; which of the three discriminanda was odd and nonodd was varied from trial to trial. Following these training phases, a transfer test was given, which involved 24 new discriminanda sets. These were presented twice for a total of 48 transfer test trials. Results early in training showed approximately 25% correct, which might be expected by chance in a four-choice task. After 500-2,000 trials, results improved to approximately 40-44% correct. The best-performing subject reached 60-80% correct during training. On the transfer test, this subject had 47.9% correct and that significantly exceeded 25% expected by chance. This finding suggests that some exceptional individuals of African dwarf goats are capable of learning the oddity concept.  
  Address Forschungsinstitut fur die Biologie landwirtschaftlicher Nutztiere, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, D-18196 Dummerstorf, Germany. Roitberg@fbn-dummerstorf.de  
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  ISSN 1435-9448 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:13680403 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2554  
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Author Górecka-Bruzda, A.; Chruszczewski, M.H.; Jezierski, T.; Murphy, J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Behaviour-related traits of Polish sport horse stallions participating in 100-day performance tests Type Journal Article
  Year Publication Livestock Science Abbreviated Journal Livest Sci  
  Volume In Press, Corrected Proof Issue Pages  
  Keywords Horse; 100-day performance tests; Behaviour; Temperament; Factor Analysis  
  Abstract (up) Sport horse studbooks frequently use performance tests to identify, evaluate and approve stallions for future breeding programmes. The aim of this study was to analyse behaviour-related traits of Polish Warmblood stallions participating in studbook 100-day performance tests. Both relatedness and differences of traits and their contribution to overall variability were analysed. Three-year-old stallions (n = 374) participated in 100-day performance test programmes at two Polish training stations from 2004 to 2008. Traits including character, temperament and trainability (trainer rated), free-jumping, jumping under the rider, walk, trot and canter (independently rated by both trainer and the selection jury) and jumping ability, dressage-ability and rideability (rated by the independent test rider) were subjected to Factor Analysis (FA) with varimax rotation. The FA produced three factors [Cooperation (Cp), Jumping Potential (JP) and Dressage Potential (DP)] with eigenvalues > 1, which accounted for 64.6% of the total variance of the traits examined. After rotation, the factors represented Cp: 23.2.0%, JP: 21.5% and DP: 19.8% of variance respectively. The traits of character, temperament, trainability, jumping under the rider, rideability, dressage and jumping abilities had high loadings on the second factor (Cp) and thereafter, the assessment of all behaviour-related traits contributed to the general evaluation with approximately one-fifth of total variability. The findings may indicate that successful sport careers for any horse may be much more closely associated with willingness to cooperate with the rider and riding and handling behaviour, than to the horse's actual physical performance potential. It would appear that only so-called sport-suitable performance of the horse is being selected for in performance tests (during jumping and dressage suitability testing). This approach may be short-sighted and inadequate with serious implications for horse under-performance in leisure activities notwithstanding general horse welfare within the disciplines of equitation.  
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  ISSN 1871-1413 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5281  
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Author Dunbar, R.I.M.; McAdam, M.R.; O'connell, S. doi  openurl
  Title Mental rehearsal in great apes (Pan troglodytes and Pongo pygmaeus) and children Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Behavioural Processes Abbreviated Journal Behav. Process.  
  Volume 69 Issue 3 Pages 323-330  
  Keywords Algorithms; Animals; Child; Child, Preschool; Food; Frontal Lobe/anatomy & histology/physiology; Humans; *Imagination; Pan troglodytes; Pongo pygmaeus; Problem Solving/*physiology; Psychomotor Performance/physiology; Reward  
  Abstract (up) The ability to rehearse possible future courses of action in the mind is an important feature of advanced social cognition in humans, and the “social brain” hypothesis implies that it might also be a feature of primate social cognition. We tested two chimpanzees, six orangutans and 63 children aged 3-7 years on a set of four puzzle boxes, half of which were presented with an opportunity to observe the box before being allowed to open it (“prior view”), the others being given without an opportunity to examine the boxes before handling them (“no prior view”). When learning effects are partialled out, puzzle boxes in the “prior view” condition were opened significantly faster than boxes given in the “no prior view” condition by the children, but not by either of the great apes. The three species differ significantly in the speed with which they opened boxes in the “no prior view” condition. The three species' performance on this task was a function of relative frontal lobe volume, suggesting that it may be possible to identify quantitative neuropsychological differences between species.  
  Address Evolutionary Psychology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK. rimd@liv.ac.uk  
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  ISSN 0376-6357 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:15896530 Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 2097  
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Author Koenen, E.P.C.; Aldridge, L.I.; Philipsson, J. url  openurl
  Title An overview of breeding objectives for warmblood sport horses Type Journal Article
  Year 2004 Publication Livestock Production Science Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 88 Issue 1-2 Pages 77-84  
  Keywords Breeding objective; Sport horse; Sport performance; Conformation; Specialisation  
  Abstract (up) The aim of this paper is to review the current breeding objectives of organisations that run a selection programme for warmblood riding horses in the light of an increasing trend in trade of semen across countries. In a questionnaire, 19 horse breeding organisations provided information on breeding objective traits. Variation both in length and amount of details used to define individual breeding objectives was large, reflecting that many traits in sport horse breeding are not easy to measure, and therefore, have to be defined in a subjective way. The majority of the breeding objectives included conformation, gaits and performance in show jumping and dressage. Some breeding objectives also included behaviour, soundness, health and fertility. However, several organisations did not specify the sport discipline and the level of competition (amateur, national or international level) in the breeding objective. In general, relative weightings of the traits within the verbally presented breeding objectives were not given, but were assessed by the organisations in response to this study. The relevance of more information on expected future production circumstances and on the genetic parameters of the traits of interest are discussed. A further review of the consistency, completeness and the number of traits of the present breeding objectives for sport horses is recommended to optimise the efficiency of selection decisions.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 3954  
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Author Lagarde, J.; Kelso, J.A.S.; Peham, C.; Licka, T. openurl 
  Title Coordination dynamics of the horse-rider system Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Journal of Motor Behavior Abbreviated Journal J Mot Behav  
  Volume 37 Issue 6 Pages 418-424  
  Keywords Animals; Biomechanics; *Horses; Humans; Professional Competence; Psychomotor Performance/*physiology; *Sports; Time Factors  
  Abstract (up) The authors studied the interaction between rider and horse by measuring their ensemble motions in a trot sequence, comparing 1 expert and 1 novice rider. Whereas the novice's movements displayed transient departures from phase synchrony, the expert's motions were continuously phase-matched with those of the horse. The tight ensemble synchrony between the expert and the horse was accompanied by an increase in the temporal regularity of the oscillations of the trunk of the horse. Observed differences between expert and novice riders indicated that phase synchronization is by no means perfect but requires extended practice. Points of contact between horse and rider may haptically convey effective communication between them.  
  Address Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431-771, USA. lagarde@ccs.fau.edu  
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  ISSN 0022-2895 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:16280312 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4034  
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Author Gomez, J.-C. doi  openurl
  Title Species comparative studies and cognitive development Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Trends in Cognitive Sciences Abbreviated Journal Trends. Cognit. Sci.  
  Volume 9 Issue 3 Pages 118-125  
  Keywords Animals; Attention/physiology; Brain/*growth & development; Child, Preschool; Cognition/*physiology; Concept Formation/physiology; Dogs; Evolution; Fixation, Ocular; Gorilla gorilla; Humans; Infant; Learning/*physiology; Macaca mulatta; Mental Recall/physiology; Personal Construct Theory; Psychomotor Performance/physiology; Species Specificity  
  Abstract (up) The comparative study of infant development and animal cognition brings to cognitive science the promise of insights into the nature and origins of cognitive skills. In this article, I review a recent wave of comparative studies conducted with similar methodologies and similar theoretical frameworks on how two core components of human cognition--object permanence and gaze following--develop in different species. These comparative findings call for an integration of current competing accounts of developmental change. They further suggest that evolution has produced developmental devices capable at the same time of preserving core adaptive components, and opening themselves up to further adaptive change, not only in interaction with the external environment, but also in interaction with other co-developing cognitive systems.  
  Address Scottish Primate Research Group, School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY15 9JU, UK  
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  ISSN 1364-6613 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:15737820 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2851  
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Author Iversen, I.H.; Matsuzawa, T. doi  openurl
  Title Development of interception of moving targets by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in an automated task Type Journal Article
  Year 2003 Publication Animal Cognition Abbreviated Journal Anim. Cogn.  
  Volume 6 Issue 3 Pages 169-183  
  Keywords Animals; Female; Hand/physiology; Motion Perception/*physiology; Movement/physiology; Pan troglodytes/*physiology; Spatial Behavior/*physiology; *Task Performance and Analysis; User-Computer Interface; Visual Perception/physiology  
  Abstract (up) The experiments investigated how two adult captive chimpanzees learned to navigate in an automated interception task. They had to capture a visual target that moved predictably on a touch monitor. The aim of the study was to determine the learning stages that led to an efficient strategy of intercepting the target. The chimpanzees had prior training in moving a finger on a touch monitor and were exposed to the interception task without any explicit training. With a finger the subject could move a small “ball” at any speed on the screen toward a visual target that moved at a fixed speed either back and forth in a linear path or around the edge of the screen in a rectangular pattern. Initial ball and target locations varied from trial to trial. The subjects received a small fruit reinforcement when they hit the target with the ball. The speed of target movement was increased across training stages up to 38 cm/s. Learning progressed from merely chasing the target to intercepting the target by moving the ball to a point on the screen that coincided with arrival of the target at that point. Performance improvement consisted of reduction in redundancy of the movement path and reduction in the time to target interception. Analysis of the finger's movement path showed that the subjects anticipated the target's movement even before it began to move. Thus, the subjects learned to use the target's initial resting location at trial onset as a predictive signal for where the target would later be when it began moving. During probe trials, where the target unpredictably remained stationary throughout the trial, the subjects first moved the ball in anticipation of expected target movement and then corrected the movement to steer the ball to the resting target. Anticipatory ball movement in probe trials with novel ball and target locations (tested for one subject) showed generalized interception beyond the trained ball and target locations. The experiments illustrate in a laboratory setting the development of a highly complex and adaptive motor performance that resembles navigational skills seen in natural settings where predators intercept the path of moving prey.  
  Address Department of Psychology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA. iiversen@unf.edu  
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  ISSN 1435-9448 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:12761656 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2567  
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