“Thinking Pigs: A Comparative Review of Cognition, Emotion, and Personality in Sus Domesticus”

This paper reviews the scientific evidence for cognitive complexity in domestic pigs and, when appropriate, compares this literature with similar findings in other animals, focusing on some of the more compelling and cutting-edge research results. The goals of this paper are to: (1) frame pig cognition and psychology in a basic comparative context independent of the livestock production and management setting; and (2) identify areas of research with pigs that are particularly compelling and in need of further investigation. Marino and Colvin conclude that there are several areas of research in which the findings are suggestive of complex psychology in pigs, and they call for more noninvasive cognitive and behavioral research with domestic pigs in non-laboratory settings that allow them to express their natural abilities.