Acquisition of a Joystick-Operated Video Task by Pigs (Sus scrofa)

Area of Science:

• Animal Cognition
• Comparative Psychology
• Animal Behavior

Background:

• Pigs (Sus scrofa) are intelligent domestic animals.
• Understanding animal cognition requires innovative research methods.
• Previous research has explored cognitive capacities in various species.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the learning capabilities of Panepinto micro pigs and Yorkshire pigs using a joystick-operated video game.
• To assess pigs' ability to understand and perform a task requiring conceptual understanding and motor skills.
• To evaluate the suitability of joystick-based interfaces for studying pig cognition.

Main Methods:

• Two Panepinto micro pigs and two Yorkshire pigs were trained to operate a joystick controlling a computer cursor.
• Subjects were tasked with moving the cursor to contact targets of varying complexity (one-, two-, or three-walled).
• Performance was measured by the pigs' success rate in contacting targets, with rewards for successful attempts.

Main Results:

• All pigs performed significantly above chance on their initial attempts to contact one-walled targets (p < 0.05).
• The results suggest pigs can acquire complex tasks despite potential physical and visual limitations.
• The study highlights the pigs' capacity for skilled motor performance and task comprehension.

Conclusions:

• Pigs possess the cognitive and motor skills necessary to acquire a joystick-operated video game task.
• The findings contribute to the understanding of cognitive abilities in domestic animals.
• Limitations of the joystick interface suggest exploring alternative technologies like touchscreens for future cognitive studies in pigs and other species.