Emotion, Pain, & Sentience

Poultry welfare: Science or subjectivity? British Poultry Science 43(5), 643–652

1. Most people in the developed world agree on what “animal welfare” is, although it is impossible to give it a precise scientific definition. 2. The argument is made that animal welfare is all to do with the feelings of...

Year Published: 2002Topics: Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Duncan, I. J. H. 2002. Poultry welfare: Science or subjectivity? British Poultry Science 43(5), 643–652.

Ultrasonic vocalizations near 30 kHz may indicate excitement rather than distress in female Wistar rats

Rats emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), sometimes referred to as 50-kHz vocalizations, during activities such as play and lower-frequency USVs, sometimes referred to as 22-kHz vocalizations, when experiencing distress. Definitions of 22-kHz vocalizations vary in terms of which frequencies should be...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, VocalizationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Lupfer, G., Brandenburger, A., Machado, M. et al. 2023. Ultrasonic vocalizations near 30 kHz may indicate excitement rather than distress in female Wistar rats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 261, 105881.

The implications of cognitive processes for animal welfare

In general, codes that have been designed to safeguard the welfare of animals emphasize the importance of providing an environment that will ensure good health and a normal physiological and physical state, that is, they emphasize the animals' physical needs....

Year Published: 1991Topics: Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Duncan, I. J., Petherick, J. C. 1991. The implications of cognitive processes for animal welfare. Journal of Animal Science 69(12), 5017–5022.

Infrared thermography for non-invasive measurement of social inequality aversion in rodents and potential usefulness for future animal-friendly studies

Infrared thermography is a method that detects thermal radiation energy and can measure the body surface temperature of animals from a distance. While rectal temperature has traditionally been used to measure animals' core temperature, thermal imaging can avoid the stress...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Watanabe, S. 2023. Infrared thermography for non-invasive measurement of social inequality aversion in rodents and potential usefulness for future animal-friendly studies. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 17, 1131427.

Neuroimaging of human and non-human animal emotion and affect in the context of social relationships

Long-term relationships are essential for the psychological wellbeing of humans and many animals. Positive emotions and affective experiences (e.g., romantic or platonic love) seem to be closely related to the creation and maintenance of social bonds. When relationships are threatened...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Zablocki-Thomas, P. B., Rogers, F. D., Bales, K. L. 2022. Neuroimaging of human and non-human animal emotion and affect in the context of social relationships. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 16, 994504.

A pilot study on behavioural and physiological indicators of emotions in donkeys

Recognizing animal emotions is critical to their welfare and can lead to a better relationship with humans and the environment, especially in a widespread species like the donkey, which is often prone to welfare issues. This study aims to assess...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Seganfreddo, S., Fornasiero, D., De Santis, M. et al. 2023. A pilot study on behavioural and physiological indicators of emotions in donkeys. Animals 13(9), 1466.

Changes in management, welfare, emotional satate, and human-related docility in stallions

Despite an increase in awareness of their essential needs, many stallions continue to be kept in conditions limiting their social interactions and movement. To supplement the studies which highlight the effects of these practices on selected aspects of equine mental...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Popescu, S., Lazar, E. A., Borda, C. et al. 2022. Changes in management, welfare, emotional satate, and human-related docility in stallions. Animals 12(21), 2981.

What is it like to be a bass? Red herrings, fish pain and the study of animal sentience

Debates around fishes' ability to feel pain concern sentience: do reactions to tissue damage indicate evaluative consciousness (conscious affect), or mere nociception? Thanks to Braithwaite's research leadership, and concerns that current practices could compromise welfare in countless fish, this issue's...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Mason, G. J., Lavery, J. M. 2022. What is it like to be a bass? Red herrings, fish pain and the study of animal sentience. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, 788289.

Mental experiences in wild animals: Scientifically validating measureable welfare indicators in free-roaming horses

The mental experiences of animals are what characterises their welfare status. The Five Domains Model for assessing welfare aligns with the understanding that physical and mental states are linked. Following measurement of indicators within each of the four physical/functional Domains...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Harvey, A. M., Beausoleil, N. J., Ramp, D. et al. 2023. Mental experiences in wild animals: Scientifically validating measureable welfare indicators in free-roaming horses. Animals 13(9), 1507.

Review of the foundational knowledge required for assessing horse welfare

A detailed understanding of what is usual for a species under optimal conditions is critical for identifying and interpreting different features of body function that have known impacts on animal welfare and its assessment. When applying the Five Domains Model...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Harvey, A. M., Ramp, D., Mellor, D. J. 2022. Review of the foundational knowledge required for assessing horse welfare. Animals 12(23), 3385.