Future application of an attention bias test to assess affective states in sheep

Abstract

The affective states of animals comprise a key aspect of welfare that can be difficult to assess. An attention-bias test was developed for sheep, which assessed allocation of attention between a predator threat and a food reward, as a potential measure of affective state. The method was pharmacologically validated as a measure of anxiety-like states, finding that 'anxious' sheep were more vigilant, less likely to feed and spent more time looking towards the previous location of a dog than did 'calm' sheep. Across six further validation studies, the method was modified and explored as a measure of other types of affective states. This perspective article aims to provide guidance on what the method can tell us about affective state and make recommendations for further research by using this approach. Evidence was strongest across the studies for the test as a measure of anxiety-like states, but it is clear that there are other factors affecting animal behaviour during testing that need to be further investigated. One study showed potential for a modified method to assess depression-like states in sheep, while the impact of chronic stress on affect and attention bias remains unclear. It is likely that the test cannot be used to measure positive affect in sheep without further modification, due to the fear-eliciting nature of the test. Versions of the method using food as a positive stimulus allow for a clearer interpretation of attention than do versions using a conspecific photograph, and are recommended for use in future studies where appetite is not expected to be a confounding factor. In this context, vigilance behaviour may indicate trait anxiety or fearfulness, while other measures of attention may be more sensitive to transient changes in affect. Modifications to the method are suggested to allow for a clearer characterisation of attention in livestock species and to improve the practical application of the test. Overall, the attention-bias test shows promise as a measure of negative affective states, but the method is still very new and further research is needed to better determine its potential use as a welfare-assessment tool.