Some calves are inherently optimistic or pessimistic, as are humans, a University of British Columbia study has found. The study also assessed fearfulness through standard personality tests and found that it and pessimism are closely related.
Source: Science Daily, February 18, 2018.
Sometimes we are tempted to see only the herd, even though this herd consists of different individuals who cope differently with stressful events,” said Marina von Keyserlingk. “It’s important to consider the individual’s perspective, because even if conditions are good, on average, some animals may still suffer.”
INSIGHTS: There are a plethora of studies like this that fall under the animal welfare label. With the high consumer expectations of how animals are handled, studies like this are important to understand. We may find a gene for optimism one day.