Negative play contagion in calves.

Area of Science:

• Ethology
• Animal Behaviour
• Social Learning

Background:

• Play behaviour is an outwardly directed, emotional activity that can spread contagiously between individuals.
• High levels of play in some animals may 'seed' play in others, potentially spreading positive affective states.
• The strength of play contagion has not been previously quantified, despite interest in the phenomenon.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the strength of the play contagion effect in calves (Bos taurus).
• To investigate how milk allowance and group composition influence play behaviour and contagion.
• To determine if positive or negative contagion effects dominate in a long-term social setting.

Main Methods:

• Calves were housed in uniform groups (all high or all low milk allowance) or mixed groups (varying milk allowances).
• Locomotor play was measured using accelerometers in calves at four and eight weeks old.
• Milk allowances were manipulated to influence individual play levels and create potential for contagion.

Main Results:

• Spontaneous play was suppressed in high-milk calves housed in mixed groups (MHigh) compared to those in uniform high-milk groups (UHigh).
• This finding quantifies a negative play contagion effect, where social context reduced play behaviour.
• The results suggest negative contagion may have a stronger influence on play than positive contagion in this context.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first quantification of a negative play contagion effect in young cattle.
• Social dynamics, particularly in mixed-resource environments, can suppress play behaviour.
• Negative social influences appear to exert a stronger effect on play than positive influences over extended periods.