This study evaluated the effect of experience and social companionship on the degree of fearfulness in pigs during a human approach test. Experience had no significant effect on fearfulness of pigs while social companionship significantly decreased number of vocalizations (156 (unpaired) vs. 54 sec (paired) P < 0.05), latency to enter within 1 meter (97 (unpaired) vs. 50 sec (paired) P <0.05), and 0.5 meter (133 (unpaired) vs. 70 sec (paired) P < 0.05), as well as significantly increased number of contact bouts (5.7 (unpaired) vs. 7.75 (paired) P < 0.05). These results suggest that experience with a novel environment and novel human will not necessarily decrease fear, but the social environment does play a large role in decreasing fearfulness in pigs. Producers can use the human approach test to evaluate levels of fear and implement positive management strategies to decrease fearfulness in the herd.