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Balancing consistency and flexibility: exploring trait and state optimism in rats using the cognitive judgement bias
Louisa Bierbaum1, Rebecca Anna Mainzer1, Carolin Mundinger1
1Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Frontiers in Veterinary Science
|August 8, 2026
Summary
Animal optimism shows consistent individual differences, suggesting a trait, but researchers could not manipulate state optimism using ultrasonic vocalizations. Further research is needed to separate trait and state optimism.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior
- Cognitive bias
- Animal welfare science
Background:
- Optimism/pessimism judgments in ambiguous situations are used to assess animal emotional states.
- Evidence suggests a trait dimension of optimism, beyond transient state changes, in animals.
- The relationship between trait and state optimism is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate between trait and state optimism in laboratory rats.
- To investigate the interplay between trait and state optimism.
- To assess the impact of manipulated emotional states on optimism and anxiety.
Main Methods:
- A spatial cognitive judgment bias test was used to repeatedly assess optimism in individual rats over 3 weeks.
- Trait optimism was inferred from the repeatability of individual optimism levels.
- State optimism was manipulated using playback of negatively (22 kHz) or positively (50 kHz) valenced ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs).
- Anxiety-like behavior was measured to evaluate the effectiveness of the state manipulation.
Main Results:
- Optimism levels demonstrated high repeatability over 3 weeks, supporting a trait dimension of optimism in rats.
- No statistically significant effects of USV playbacks on optimism levels or anxiety-like behavior were detected.
- The study was unable to systematically investigate the state dimension of optimism due to the lack of significant manipulation effects.
Conclusions:
- The study provides evidence for a consistent trait dimension of optimism in laboratory rats.
- Current methods may not be sufficient to reliably manipulate or measure state optimism in this context.
- Further research is required to effectively disentangle the trait and state components of animal optimism and emotional states.
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