Table 2.

Overview of cognitive tasks applied in pig research and their opportunities for implementation in the field of animal welfare and biomedical research

Criteria: Test category:	Unimpaired animals should be able to acquire task	Allow for detailed behavioral analysis	Stress free	Tap ecologically relevant behaviors	Standardization	Automation	Allow investigation of developmental effects	Complexity and sensitivity
Classical tasks
Conditioning tasks appetitive	+	−	+	±	+	+	−	−
Conditioning tasks aversive	+	−	−	−	+	+	−	−
Operant tasks
Lever-pressing tasks	±	−	+	−	+	+	−	+
Discrimination tasks (two choices)	+	−	+	−	±	±	−	±
Discrimination tasks (multiple choices)	+	−	+	−	±	±	−	+
Barrier tasks	+	±	+	±	−	−	±	±
Avoidance tasks	+	−	−	−	+	+	±	−
Choice tasks	+	−	±	−	+	+	±	+
Spatial tasks
Water mazes	+	−	−	−	+	±	−	−
Spatial arena’s	+	+	+	±	+	+	+	+
Multi-access mazes	+	±	+	±	+	+	+	+
Choice tasks	+	±	+	+	+	+	−	−
Recognition tasks
ORT	+	+	+	±	±	−	+	±
Y-mazes	+	±	+	±	±	−	−	+
Social tasks	+	±	±	+	±	−	−	±
Awareness tasks
Mirror test	+	±	+	+	−	−	+	+

Criteria are based on Chap. 1.3 (Implementation of cognitive tasks). + indicates a positive expectancy for this criteria in a particular test category, based on acquired results or analysis of the test construction. ± indicates that the expectancy might be promising, based on comparable tests applied in other species or analysis of the test construction. − indicates a negative expectancy for this criteria in a particular test category based on acquired results or analysis of the test construction. Due to the multiplicity of tests applied within pig research so far, the categorization made here is a broad outline, and some types of tests are be piled up to keep this table specific and to secure a convenient arrangement