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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

A history-based method to estimate animal preference

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Author(s):
Maia, Caroline Marques [1] ; Volpato, Gilson Luiz [1]
Total Authors: 2
Affiliation:
[1] Sao Paulo State Univ, UNESP, Inst Biosci, Lab Anim Physiol & Behav, Dept Physiol, Caunesp, Botucatu, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 1
Document type: Journal article
Source: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS; v. 6, JUN 28 2016.
Web of Science Citations: 6
Abstract

Giving animals their preferred items (e.g., environmental enrichment) has been suggested as a method to improve animal welfare, thus raising the question of how to determine what animals want. Most studies have employed choice tests for detecting animal preferences. However, whether choice tests represent animal preferences remains a matter of controversy. Here, we present a history-based method to analyse data from individual choice tests to discriminate between preferred and non-preferred items. This method differentially weighs choices from older and recent tests performed over time. Accordingly, we provide both a preference index that identifies preferred items contrasted with non-preferred items in successive multiple-choice tests and methods to detect the strength of animal preferences for each item. We achieved this goal by investigating colour choices in the Nile tilapia fish species. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 10/02953-7 - Difference between choice and preference in fish: an approach for welfare
Grantee:Caroline Marques Maia
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master