Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), 18196 Dummerstorf, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
Institute of Genetics and Biometry, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), 18196 Dummerstorf, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
Proc Biol Sci. 2023 Aug 9;290(2004):20230665. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0665. Epub 2023 Aug 2.
Helping behaviour is of special interest for prosociality because it appears to be motivated by the needs of others. We developed a novel paradigm to investigate helping in pigs () and tested 75 individuals in eight groups in their home pens. Two identical compartments were attached to the pen, equipped with a window, and a door that could be opened from the outside by lifting a handle. Pigs in all groups spontaneously opened doors during a 5-day familiarization. During testing, each pig was isolated once from its group and placed in one of the two compartments, in a counter-balanced order. In 85% of cases, pigs released a trapped group member from the test compartment within 20 min (median latency = 2.2 min). Pigs were more likely and quicker to open a door to free the trapped pig than to open a door to an empty compartment. Pigs who spent more time looking at the window of the compartment containing the trapped pig were more likely to help. Distress signals by the trapped pig increased its probability of being helped. Responses are consistent with several criteria for identifying targeted helping, but results can also be explained by selfish motivations.
助人行为是亲社会行为的一个特殊研究领域，因为它似乎是由他人的需求所驱动的。我们开发了一种新的范式来研究猪的助人行为，并在 8 个组的猪圈中对 75 只个体进行了测试。猪圈上附有两个相同的隔间，每个隔间都配备了一扇窗户和一扇可以从外面通过提起手柄打开的门。所有组的猪在 5 天的熟悉期内都会自发地打开门。在测试期间，每只猪会被单独隔离在两个隔间中的一个中，顺序是平衡的。在 85%的情况下，猪会在 20 分钟内（中位数潜伏期为 2.2 分钟）从测试隔间中释放被困的同伴。与打开通往空隔间的门相比，猪更有可能且更快地打开门来解救被困的猪。与观察包含被困猪的隔间的窗户相比，花更多时间看窗户的猪更有可能提供帮助。被困猪发出的求救信号增加了其被帮助的可能性。这些反应与识别有针对性的帮助的几个标准一致，但也可以用自私的动机来解释结果。
