83:. Two types of metal mesh flooring were being used in the 1950s; one type was a large, open mesh using thick wire, the other was a smaller mesh size but the wire was considerably thinner. A prestigious committee, the Brambell Committee, conducting an investigation into farm animal welfare concluded the thicker mesh should be used as this was likely to be more comfortable for the chickens. However, preference tests showed that chickens preferred the thinner wire. Photographs taken from under the cages showed that the thinner mesh offered more points of contact for the feet than the thick mesh, thereby spreading the load on the hens' feet and presumably feeling more comfortable to the birds.
43:
activities observed, or relative consumption of a goal object in the environment. These measures can be recorded either by the experimenter or by motion detecting software. Strength of preference can be inferred by the magnitude of the difference in the response, but see "Advantages and disadvantages" below. Statistical testing is used to determine whether observed differences in such measures support the conclusion that preference or aversion has occurred. Prior to testing, the animals are usually given the opportunity to explore the environments to
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whether the mouse 'needs' that particular space, or whether it has a relatively slight preference for it. To measure an animal's motivation toward a choice one may perform a "consumer demand test." In this sort of test, the choice involves some "cost" to the animal, such as physical effort (e.g., lever pressing, weighted door).
106:
Most preference tests involve no 'cost' for making a choice, so they do not indicate the strength of an animals motivation or need to obtain the outcome of the choice. For example, if a laboratory mouse is offered three sizes of cage space it may prefer one of them, but this choice does not indicate
91:
The number of choices that can be offered is theoretically limitless for some preference tests, e.g., light intensity, cage size, food types; however, the number is often limited by experimental practicalities, current practice (e.g., animal caging systems) or costs. Furthermore, animals usually
42:
is an experiment in which animals are allowed free access to multiple environments which differ in one or more ways. Various aspects of the animal's behaviour can be measured with respect to the alternative environments, such as latency and frequency of entry, duration of time spent, range of
388:
Thorpe, W.H., (1965). The assessment of pain and distress in animals. Appendix III in report of the technical committee to enquire into the welfare of animals kept under intensive husbandry conditions, F.W.R.Brambell (chairman). H.M.S.O.,
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Preference tests sometimes allow access to the variants outside of the testing period ('open economy'), thereby allowing compensatory access outside of the period of observation. More rigorous studies prevent this access ('closed
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Preference tests give an indication only of relative preferences for the offered variants, not the absolute need for any of the variants. This can be overcome by placing costs on gaining access to the variants (see
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investigate all areas of the apparatus in a behaviour called "information gathering", even those with minor preference, so the more choices that are available may dilute the data on the dominant preference(s).
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It can be difficult to account for minority preferences. For example, consider the duration of human occupation of rooms in a house as an indication of preference. We probably occupy the
280:'Inappropriate' responses. This happens particularly when the animals have not evolved appropriate responses to the offered variants. For example, rats will show a preference for
267:, making it the minority preference, this does not necessarily mean the bathroom is the least preferred room at all times of the day, i.e. minority preference can be important.
50:
Preference tests can be used to test for preferences of only one characteristic of an environment, e.g. cage colour, or multiple characteristics e.g. a choice between
178:
has been used to assess how drugs affect memory performance. It has also been shown to be responsive in distinguishing the cognitive effects of an array of toxicants.
215:
A major advantage of preference tests is that we can gain objective data about animal motivation from the animal's perspective (largely) without being influenced by
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277:. For example, a dog which has had a painful visit to the vet may prefer not to go to the vet subsequently even though it will ultimately benefit the dog's health.
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solution compared to unadulterated water. This is because the saccharin has been designed to taste as if it contains nutrients (sugars) although it does not.
71:
The simplest of preference tests offers a choice between two alternatives. This can be done by putting different goal boxes at the ends of the arms of a
362:
Sherwin, C.M. (1998). "The use and perceived importance of three resources which provide caged laboratory mice the opportunity of extended locomotion".
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Animals can only make a choice between the variants offered. These might be limited by our current understanding of the animals' motivations and senses.
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for the greatest durations of time, indicating these are the most preferred rooms; however, although we probably spend least time in the
75:, or having a chamber divided into differing halves. A famous example of this simple method is an investigation of the preferences of
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399:
Sherwin, C.M.; Glen, E.F. (2003). "Cage colour preferences and effects of home-cage colour on anxiety in laboratory mice".
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Dawkins, M.S. (1983). "Battery hens name their price: consumer demand theory and the measurement of ethological 'needs'".
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553:
Sherwin, C.M.; Heyes, C.M.; Nicol (2002). "Social learning influences the preferences of domestic hens for novel food".
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Sherwin, C.M.; Olsson, I.A.S. (2004). "Housing conditions affect self-administration of anxiolytic by laboratory mice".
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A radial arm maze allowing animals to choose between 8 variants (e.g. food) that would be placed at the end of each arm
319:
Cunningham, C.; Gremel, C.; Groblewski, P. (2006). "Drug-induced conditioned place preference and aversion in mice".
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Moinard, C.; Sherwin, C.M. (1999). "Turkeys prefer fluorescent light with supplementary ultraviolet radiation".
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a bath of water means the water can be used for swimming, drinking and washing, rather than just one activity
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There have been relatively few studies on the preferences of wild animals. A recent study has shown that
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Preferences can vary throughout the day. Well designed studies can account for this complication.
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Preference tests have been used widely in the study of animal behaviour and motivation, e.g.:
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do not discriminate drinking water according to its content of metabolic wastes, such as
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635:"Nitrogen metabolic wastes do not influence drinking water preference in feral pigeons"
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Some variants may offer substitutability of use. For example, offering semi-aquatic
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Animals sometimes behave for proximate considerations rather than ultimate
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Levin, ED (1988). "Psychopharmacological effects in the radial-arm maze".
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200:(mimicking faeces- or urine-pollution by birds or mammals respectively).
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tunnels or additional empty space for extended locomotion.
748:"Preferences of 14 rat strains for 17 taste compounds"
498:"Animal Behaviour: Cognitive bias and affective state"
746:Tordoff, M.G.; Alarcon, L.K.; Lawler, M.P. (2008).
141:Illumination preferences and sensory capacity of
696:Mason, G.; Cooper, J.; Clarebrough, C. (2001).
643:Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
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496:Harding, E.J.; Paul, E.S; Mendl, M. (2004).
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591:Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
79:for different types of wire floor in
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124:Colour of cages for laboratory mice
47:and reduce the effects of novelty.
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698:"The welfare of fur-farmed mink"
471:Applied Animal Behaviour Science
364:Applied Animal Behaviour Science
102:Consumer demand tests (animals)
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764:10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.06.010
675:10.1016/s0003-3472(83)80026-8
604:10.1016/S0149-7634(88)80008-3
483:10.1016/s0168-1591(99)00043-x
376:10.1016/s0168-1591(97)00049-x
228:Disadvantages and limitations
27:Experiment in animal behavior
205:Advantages and disadvantages
119:Animal housing and husbandry
183:Preferences of wild animals
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217:attributing human emotions
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18:Preference tests (animals)
448:10.1017/S0962728600026634
633:Olah G, Rózsa L (2006).
752:Physiology and Behavior
567:10.1006/anbe.2002.2000
413:10.1006/anbe.2003.2286
333:10.1038/nprot.2006.279
154:Cognitive bias studies
127:Desire to self-select
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129:stress-reducing drugs
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159:Animal communication
807:Animal intelligence
514:2004Natur.427..312H
96:Choices with a cost
169:Human pharmacology
136:Sensory capacities
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827:Scientific method
16:(Redirected from
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67:Two choices
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306:References
300:Oasis maze
252:economy').
210:Advantages
442:: 33–38.
282:saccharin
194:uric acid
56:Habitrail
45:habituate
822:Ethology
782:18639567
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289:See also
265:bathroom
77:chickens
773:2642481
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510:Bibcode
349:2144049
275:fitness
261:bedroom
234:above).
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259:and
242:mink
198:urea
174:The
111:Uses
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