Tools and tests

Tools and Tests: 

Tools and Tests Dr. Anna Johnson Week 5 Thursday 1st March 2007

Students please note: I have included quite a few links to web pages that will help define and explain concepts in this (and future weeks) slides. Therefore, for the links to work you need to be on-line and have access to the internet.: 

Students please note: I have included quite a few links to web pages that will help define and explain concepts in this (and future weeks) slides. Therefore, for the links to work you need to be on-line and have access to the internet.

Today: 

Today This is an introduction…. Identification of tools Animal motivation and learning Identification of tests Challenges and positives for these tools and tests

Identification of tools: 

Identification of tools

Tools: 

Tools Week 11 Lasers Criterion 400 survey laser

Laser: 

Laser Laser booklet

Tools: 

Tools Week 11 Data loggers Sirtrack Sirtrack Homepage Large mammal transmitter

Tools: 

Tools Development of Small Size Data Logger to Observe Marine Animals. Hiroyuki Muramoto and Naito Yasuhiko Penguin information

Tools: 

Tools Week 11 Vocalizations Elephant listening project and infrasound! Elephant project

Spectrogram of forest dwelling elephants: 

Spectrogram of forest dwelling elephants

Tools: 

Tools Week 12 Locomotion Gait

Tools: 

Tools Week 13 Eating Rumination

Identification of tests: 

Identification of tests

Tests: 

Tests Week 9 Novelty

Tests: 

Tests Week 9 Fear

Tests: 

Tests Week 9 Tonic immobility

Tests: 

Tests Week 10 T-mazes Aversion Operant conditioning But before this…. Motivation and learning, some theory!

Motivation: 

Motivation Motivation is sometimes termed the “hypothetical variable” in that it can not be observed directly Used to describe internal and external processes that arouse and direct behavior Animals have motivations for behaviors beyond what is needed for survival

Motivation: 

Motivation “Motivation is a process within the brain that determines which and when behaviors will occur. Goal orientation of animals forms the basis for motivation. Motivation is a function of stimuli such as physiological parameters and interactions with external stimuli such as those of the various dimensions of the animals total environment.”

Motivation: 

Motivation Motivation that is dominant will inhibit the capacity of other motivations Flexibility can occur in motivational systems Unlike reflexes and MAP’s Aspect of motivation animals are said to form representation of their world involving “expectations”

General behavioral model system: 

General behavioral model system External factors (darkness / leaves…) Comparison (is it enough?) Goal (store food) Motor Program (walk, run, forage) Internal factors (hunger, body temp) Motivation (find food) I.e. a squirrel!

Motivation: 

Motivation Motivational controls set high level goals To get food Find water Goals are implemented by lower level processes This represents hierarchical control Highest level = goal Lowest levels = command

What can influence motivation….: 

What can influence motivation…. Physiological systems Feeding, drinking, body regulation Reproductive systems Seek a mate / be receptive Seek isolation Increased aggression from the female Social characteristics Dominance order Flocking in sheep

Motivational systems: 

Motivational systems Classical ethological approach Biopsychological approach

Classical ethological approach: 

Classical ethological approach A particular motivation increases as a function of the length of time that has elapsed since it was last expressed Specific energy underlying a motivation Lorenzo, 1950

Classical ethological approach: 

Classical ethological approach Time elapsed Just performed Empty Fill Full Tipping Behavior must be performed Empty

Classical ethological approach: 

Classical ethological approach Model has been criticized No evidence of actual accumulation of physical energy within the animals body Energy is simply a metaphor to try and describe motivational systems Does not describe all types of behavior well Aggressive behaviors In addition some behaviors explained by physiology: Feeding and drinking behaviors

Biopsychological approach: 

Biopsychological approach Physiological events within the animals body – Toates, 2001 Homeostasis is achieved partly by means of behavior Deviation from optimum in body fluids / body temperature Hypothermic animal might: Engage in huddling with other animals Persuaded to press a lever in Skinner box to gain units of heat – an index of motivation

Biopsychological approach: 

Biopsychological approach Emphasize that motivation arises from a combination of external stimuli and internal physiological states External stimuli are sometimes referred to as “incentive” Power of the incentive can vary: Past experience, Size of the reward, Satiety levels.

Asking the animal….what’s their motivation?: 

Asking the animal….what’s their motivation? Early use of preference testing Natural study Collected in a systematic and quantitative way Traditional lab studies of behavior have provided insights into animals preferences and motivation Brambell Committee Thorpe (1965) proposed what became an agenda for using scientific research to resolve animal well-being issues Pushed for more work to “ask animals about their environmental preferences.”

Floor preference with a laying hen: 

Floor preference with a laying hen “Chicken wire” Heavy gauge metal mesh

Piglet Motivation: 

Piglet Motivation Y-maze tests piglet relative motivations Mother’s odor is learned by 12 hours of age Piglet motivation to be near the odor of their mother is stronger than their motivation for heat A B

Concerns with preference testing…: 

Concerns with preference testing… Asking suitably complex questions Past animal experience Avoiding incorrect responses!

Test size of enclosure for sows: 

Test size of enclosure for sows

Strength of the preference…: 

Strength of the preference… Grapes vs. cherries – weak Live in house or dungeon – strong “Just because an animal prefers one thing over another or chooses one set of conditions over another this cannot be taken to mean that it necessarily suffers if it has to make do with the least preferred state…. What we need is w ay of calibrating the various signs of well-being and suffering in a quantitative way.” Dawkins, 1983

Learning: 

Learning

What is learning….: 

What is learning…. Animal can predict and control using past experiences One-event learning Associative learning Social learning Extinction

One-event learning: 

One-event learning Habituation Progressive decrease in the strength of a behavioral response to a continuing stimuli I.e. horses and the train… Sensitization Reduce the threshold and magnify the response Attack by predator, similar inputs = heightened response

Associative learning: 

Associative learning Classical conditioning Instrumental conditioning

Associative learning: 

Associative learning Classical conditioning Animal associates two events with an out come First studied by a Russian physiologist called Ivan Pavlov

Slide42: 

The site or smell of food (the unconditioned stimulus) causes the dog to salivate (the unconditioned response). Ordinarily a neural stimulus, such as a bell ring does not cause the dog to salivate. There is no response to food, only to a sound where the dog may move it's ears. We can condition the dog to respond to the tone. We ring the bell and immediately follow it with food. This should be repeated several times. The link between the bell and food is termed an association.

Slide43: 

Eventually, the dog will salivate (conditioned response) at the sound of the bell alone (the conditioned stimulus). The dog has associated the tone with food.

Associative learning: 

Associative learning Instrumental conditioning Operant conditioning or trial and error learning The behavior of an animal is dependent on the previous outcomes of the behavior

Associative learning: 

Associative learning Desirable out come = perform more Undesirable outcome = perform less Investigated in a Skinner box or operant conditioning box

Social learning: 

Social learning Imitation - quite rare Orang-utans attempt to make a fire after watching humans Social facilitation / learning Food sources Monkeys washing potatoes before eating

Social learning: 

Social learning Imprinting Lorenzo and his ducks Shaping Prenatal and neonatal learning Aversion** Learn from negative experience to avoid an area, thing or item (dominance)

Aversion : 

Aversion

Social learning – Rushen 1986: 

Social learning – Rushen 1986 AVERSION…..

Electro immobilization: 

Electro immobilization How is electro-immobilisation carried out? Nose-to-tail or head to tail. Electrodes are attached to the head of the animals usually via an electrode clip attached to the corner of the mouth or cheek and also to the caudal fold on the tail of the animal using a needle.

Electro immobilization: 

Electro immobilization How is electro-immobilisation carried out? Back-to-tail. Electrodes are inserted above the lumbar vertebra and through the caudal fold of the tail. Rectally: An electrode is inserted into the rectum. The current is then switched on at a low current. The current is then increased, resulting in immobility and rigidity of the animal. Sometimes this paralyses the animal's respiratory muscles and the animal stops breathing. The current must then be reduced and the animal will start to breath again. Breathing is often labored. Use of excessive current can lead to death Eye roll

Electro immobilization: 

Electro immobilization What animals is electro-immobilisation used on? Cattle, deer and sheep What is electro-immobilisation used for, and by whom? Animals that are hard to handle stay still while procedures such as dehorning are carried out

Electro immobilization – Grandin et al., 1986: 

Electro immobilization – Grandin et al., 1986 Electro-immobilization is NOT a humane method of restraint – Grandin et al., 1986 Electro-immobilization must not be confused with electric stunning Electric stunning is correctly applied a high amperage current is passed through the brain which renders the animal instantly unconscious Electro-immobilization is used a very small current is passed through the body that paralyzes the muscles Does NOT make the animal unconscious and insensible to pain Animal is paralyzed, but remains conscious Animal may not be able to vocalize or struggle because the muscles are paralyzed

Electo – immobilization – Grandin et al., 1986: 

Electo – immobilization – Grandin et al., 1986 Forty-five pregnant Suffolk ewes aged 1 to 9 yr Good physical condition Ewes had no previous experience with an electro-immobilizer, squeeze chute or tilt table

Slide55: 

Ewes discriminate between alleys by six 4- x 40-cm yellow tape strips 3 cm apart (vertical on the electro-immobilizer side, horizontal on the other) were placed just past the Y's fork on panels on both sides of both alleys. Windowless

Electo – immobilization - restraint: 

Electo – immobilization - restraint One of three commercial electro-immobilizers in successive trials A spring-clamp electrode was attached to the ewe's upper-lip mucous membrane, and a needle electrode was inserted under rump skin 5 cm from the spine and spring-clamped to wool Electro-immobilizer used: Trial I operated at 100 Hz Trial II was at 50 Hz Trial III operated at preset, but unknown, pulse frequency Devices were set at "low-range 40", "200 mA" and "low-range 10", respectively, Electro-immobilization--as judged by a marked and continuous rigor-like stiffening and often a toppling of the entire body--was imposed for 5 s. Mechanical restraint Squeeze-tilt table Held for 15 s in the table while positioned horizontally.

Ewes choose?: 

Ewes choose? Clear preference for being restrained on the squeeze table rather than being electro – immobilized First pass: 13 % immobilized 79 % table 4 % no choice Second pass 0 % immobilized 100 % table 0% no choice

Social learning: 

Social learning Learned helplessness Animal thwarted to get to a reward Animal can not get away from a frustrating stimulus Animal can not control its environment Animal can never predict and outcome Zoo animals Excessive rocking Dogs in kennels Excessive sitting / lack of response to outside stimuli

Extinction: 

Extinction Stimulus or behavior is no longer followed by a reinforcer Burst of activity Eventual stops responding to a stimulus

Extinction: 

Extinction Pavlov

Factors affecting learning: 

Factors affecting learning Timing Hen hears noise and worm appears in 5 seconds Strength of reinforcer Big fat and juicy worm! Strength of stimulus Whistle and command a dog – a lot of attention Whistle when walking dog – less effective as less predictive value to a command

Other challenges and positives for these tests and tools: 

Other challenges and positives for these tests and tools

Challenges: 

Challenges Weight Interference of behaviors Longevity Cost Features Lost? Downloading Use of data afterwards Stage of animal Past experiences

Positives: 

Positives Non interference with the animal Go places that you would otherwise be unable to do Begin to ask the animal and involve the animal

Reading material: 

Reading material No extra reading this week

Homework Assignment: 

Homework Assignment I will allocate each of you a tool or test and I want you to write your abstract on (1) what this is and (2) the challenges and positives associated with this. Send you abstracts out to the class by Monday 5th March 2007 by Noon Central Students to present their abstracts in class on Thursday 1st March 2007

Homework Assignment : 

Homework Assignment Papers can be found on the class home page: Class home page

Homework Assignment: 

Homework Assignment Needed for the abstract Describe the objective (s) Brief materials and methods Detail on the tool or test used (maybe link to a web page if useful) What does it measure How does it measure? How can the information be downloaded and used? How is the item fixed onto the animals etc., Identify in your opinion one challenge and one positive for this tool or tests as your conclusion statement

Homework assignment: 

Homework assignment I do not want you this week to report the results… Please follow the guidelines for writing style as if you are a PRIMARY Reviewer – these can be found in the class syllabus Any concerns e-mail me: johnsona@iastate.edu

Thanks !: 

Thanks !