Cows can be cynics or optimists: Study

Some cows put the “moo” in moody. But others are just natural cynics, says a new study. In a paper published Jan. 23 in Scientific Reports, researchers from UBC’s animal welfare program found that some calves, just like humans, are more optimistic or pessimistic than others.

Recognizing these personality differences is important to ensure animals are treated well, says Prof. Marina von Keyserlingk, who led the research team and is a co-author of the study along with Daniel Weary. PhD candidate Benjamin Lecorps was lead author on the study.

“I’m an animal welfare scientist and so the types of research that we do is to try to make better lives for animals,” said von Keyserlingk.

“We tend to look at groups,” she said, “and then we deal in the average of the group. So I’ve been really interested from the perspective of the individual animal because the group still may be OK as a whole, but it’s the individual that suffers.”

In the study, 22 calves were placed in a small pen with five holes in the wall. The hole at one end contained milk from a bottle, while the hole at the opposite end contained an empty bottle that delivered a puff of air in the calves’ faces.

Once the calves were trained to expect reward at one end and disappointment at the other, researchers placed a bottle of milk at one of the three holes in between, predicting that the more optimistic calves would approach the bottle even if it was near the hole that only delivered disappointment, whereas more pessimistic calves would avoid the hole.

While the calves varied in their choices, individual calves remained consistent, even making similar choices three weeks apart. The researchers were able to conclude that pessimism was a consistent individual trait and not just the result of temporary moods or emotions.