1. Emotions and cognition: a new approach to animal welfare
- Author
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Boissy, A., Arnould, C., Chaillou, E., Désire, L., Duvaux-Ponter, C., Greiveldinger, L., Leterrier, C., Richard, S., Roussel, S., Saint-Dizier, H., Meunier-Salaün, M. C., Valance, D., Isabelle Veissier, Unité de Recherches sur les Herbivores (URH), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Physiologie de la reproduction et des comportements [Nouzilly] (PRC), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation [Saumur]-Université de Tours (UT)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Physiologie de la Nutrition et Alimentation (PNA), Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon (INA P-G)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Systèmes d'élevage, nutrition animale et humaine (SENAH), AGROCAMPUS OUEST, Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), ProdInra, Archive Ouverte, Unité Mixte de Recherches sur les Herbivores - UMR 1213 (UMRH), VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-AgroSup Dijon - Institut National Supérieur des Sciences Agronomiques, de l'Alimentation et de l'Environnement-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Tours-Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation [Saumur]-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Modélisation Systémique Appliquée aux Ruminants (MoSAR), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-AgroParisTech, Désiré, Lara, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation [Saumur]-Université de Tours-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), AgroParisTech-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon (INA P-G), AGROCAMPUS OUEST-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-AGROCAMPUS OUEST, Unité Mixte de Recherches sur les Herbivores ( UMR 1213 Herbivores ), VetAgro Sup ( VAS ) -AgroSup Dijon - Institut National Supérieur des Sciences Agronomiques, de l'Alimentation et de l'Environnement-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique ( INRA ), Physiologie de la reproduction et des comportements [Nouzilly] ( PRC ), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique ( INRA ) -Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation [Saumur]-Université de Tours-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ), Modélisation Systémique Appliquée aux Ruminants ( MoSAR ), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique ( INRA ) -AgroParisTech, Systèmes d'élevage, nutrition animale et humaine ( SENAH ), and Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique ( INRA ) -AGROCAMPUS OUEST
- Subjects
Emotion ,Farm animals ,Quality of life ,[SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Cognition ,General Veterinary ,[ SDV ] Life Sciences [q-bio] ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Animal Welfare ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,BIEN-ETRE ANIMAL - Abstract
The concept of quality of life in animals is closely associated with the concepts of animal sentience and animal welfare. It reflects a positive approach that inquires what animals like or prefer doing. The assessment of farm animal welfare requires a good understanding of the animals' affective experience, including their emotions. However, affective experience in animals is difficult to measure because of the absence of verbal communication. Recent studies in the field of cognitive psychology have shown that affective experience can be investigated without using verbal communication by examination of the interactions between emotions and cognition. On the one hand, appraisal theories provide a conceptual framework which suggests that emotions in humans are triggered by a cognitive process whereby the situation is evaluated on a limited number of elementary criteria such as familiarity and predictability. We have applied these appraisal theories to develop an experimental approach for studying the elementary criteria used by farm animals to evaluate their environment and the combinations of those criteria that trigger emotions. On the other hand, an increasing body of research, first in humans and then in other animals, suggests that emotions also influence cognitive processes by modifying attention, memory and judgement in a short- or long-term manner. Cognitive processes could therefore be manipulated and measured to provide new insights into how not only emotions but also more persistent affective states can be assessed in animals. Further work based on these cognitive approaches will offer new paradigms for improving our understanding of animal welfare, thus contributing to ‘a life of high quality’ in animals.
- Published
- 2006