Individual play patterns stimulated by a familiar object are group-driven

Abstract

This study investigates the dynamics of play behaviour within groups of four juvenile pigs and uses a novel clustering and statistical modelling approach to describe new details in how individuals play with a familiar object (toy rope). We examined complex state sequence data collected during a 30 min home pen play test, using the package TraMineR, where the states were defined as object play, locomotor/social play and no play. From behavioural observations, and based on the relative proportion of the different types of object play observed, each individual was later categorised as an initiator or joiner type of player. Initiators were found to be more solitary and to show more object play whereas joiners were more social and showed less object play. The majority of groups did not have an initiator type of player, yet on average they played more. Despite strong group and type of player effects, we identified three general individual play patterns. On a group level, our results demonstrate differences in how a period of playing develops, that playing with the object simultaneously occurs more often in groups than expected by chance and that the number of pigs playing together is stable over time.

Social influence on the expression of robbing and bartering behaviours in Balinese long-tailed macaques

“…Hoppitt and Laland 2008). Response facilitation also accounts for the synchronization process underpinning the collective performance of fur rubbing behaviour in white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus; Meunier et al 2008) and object play in pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus; Zupan et al 2019), after these behaviours have been initiated by conspecific demonstrators. A second piece of evidence supporting the effect of response facilitation in our study lies in the timeline of the social influence on the expression of robbing behaviour.…”

“…contagious yawning, self-scratching, predator evasion, contact calls; Amici et al 2014;Nakayama 2004;Palagi et al 2014) or voluntary, more elaborate, and learned (e.g. synchronous foraging, grooming, playing, courtship displays; Hoppitt et al 2007;Nuechterlein and Strorer 1982;Tolman 1964;Zupan et al 2019). Because the mirror neuron system is likely involved in this social process (Ferrari et al 2005), response facilitation is characterized by a transient effect (i.e.…”

Social learning and networks in Nestor parrots

“…Being able to interact with the 'tools', despite being mostly excluded from the apparatus, likely reduced the participant fatigue that would come from complete exclusion from the apparatus. The experimental study of play is very rare in animal behaviour (Lewis & Burghardt, 2010;Marks, Vizconde, Gibson, Rodriguez, & Nunes, 2017;Palagi, 2018;Zupan et al, 2019), however, this thesis adds novel evidence for the utility of play in learning, and illustrates why furthering the experimental science of play is warranted. Future research should look to build on these findings, and address some of the following limitations of this study.…”