PSY1HAE: Week 11

Determining What Matters Most To Animals

• "Welfare" in Old English (Hagsil) is a holistic measure of well-being considering an animal's physical, mental, and emotional state.

• Animal welfare involves understanding individual likes, dislikes, and best interests.

• Measuring animal welfare is complex, involving many variables; it is not solely based on productivity.

• Even a physically healthy animal may have poor welfare.

• The Brambell Report highlighted poor animal care standards in agriculture, shocking the public.

•  The Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare, developed by the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC), are:

  • Freedom from hunger and thirst
  • Freedom from discomfort
  • Freedom from pain, injury, and disease
  • Freedom to express normal behavior
  • Freedom from fear and distress

• The Five Freedoms are criticized for focusing only on behavior, which can be insufficient for assessing welfare, especially for species with less predictable behavior.

• Complete freedom from pain and hunger is not always desired for animals, and there is no clear distinction between mild and severe discomfort using the Five Freedoms.

• The Natural Behavior Approach, advocated by Bernard Rollin, prioritizes animals having adequate space and freedom to express natural behavior.

• Criticisms of the Natural Behavior Approach include:

  • Not all animals can survive in the wild.
  • Natural environments can be harsh and dangerous.
  • Human intervention can sometimes create better environments than nature.

• Animal welfare is a complex issue with no easy answers; different approaches may be necessary for different species and situations.

How Welfare Scientists Think About Animal Welfare

• The Animal Preferences-Based Approach uses animal preferences to gauge welfare.

• An animal's preferences may not always align with long-term wellbeing.

• Preferences are influenced by several factors:

  • Availability of resources.
  • Motivational state.
  • External conditions.

• Preferences may change over time due to factors like mating season or hunger.

• Animal preferences may not reflect their cognitive or sensory capabilities.

• Measuring Preference Strength uses techniques like lever pressing or button pushing to determine how strongly an animal will work for a preferred option.

• An animal that works harder for a resource is assumed to have a stronger preference.

• Preference strength measurement has limitations similar to simple preference testing.

• The Animal Feelings-Based Approach considers the subjective feelings of animals to judge their welfare.

• Emotional states are difficult to observe and measure in animals, making this approach challenging.

• Relying solely on feelings-based assessments can lead to unreliable conclusions.

• Neuroimaging research could offer potential insights into animal emotions and correlate certain physiological states with specific emotions.

• The Biological Functioning-Based Approach focuses on physiological and biological functioning to assess animal welfare.

• This approach can be more objective than preference-based or feelings-based approaches.

• Measuring physiological indicators like heart rate or stress hormones can provide insights into animal wellbeing.

• There is no single definitive answer to what constitutes good animal welfare.

• Personal values heavily influence our perception of animal welfare.

• Understanding the psychological factors that influence our thinking about animal welfare is crucial.

• Although uncertainty exists, we can make informed decisions by considering multiple approaches and developing a comprehensive understanding.