BIOL313Z references Flashcards
what animals want : one off choice tests example
-choice between 2 or more alternatives
-hens: choice between 2 types of flooring and measuring how long they stood on each one for
- fine gauge wire floor and heavy rectangular mesh
-prefered the fine wire, opposite to what committee
set up by government thought they would want
choice tests requirements
-can we confirm that animals are closing what they like most?
- choice tests require the animals to have equal experience with all options presented to them
-prevent them choosing what they know
what animals want: repeated choice tests
-offer the same choice over and over
-allows the animal to build up experience with options so they can make an informed decision
repeated choice test example horses
-testing horses choice between being ridden with their head in a natural position or in an unnatural Roller position
-Y-shaped maze where in one arm ridden in normal position and other arm in Rollkur
- when came to choice, 14/15 consistently chose normal position
repeated choice test example cows
-see how they want to be treated by humans
-one side of arm, spoken at in soft voice, other side shouted at
-always chose soft voice
what animals want: operant tests
-animal trained to perform behaviour in order to receive reward
-ability to learn new behaviour evolved so animals can obtain what they want in nature
operant test examples
-mice will learn to press a switch for the reward of bedding material
-blue foxes learn to press a lever for the reward of being allowed somewhere to dig
-hens peck at key to get straw
-pigs,calves,sheep learn to operate switch for heat
choice tests for the wider world
-where a wild animal choses to live when it has multiple options is a clue to what it wants
-tracking devices used to determine what wild animals want by seeing where they go/spend time
-in zoos, find out animals thoughts on visitors by providing hiding areas to see whether they chose to move closer to visitors or away from them
choice tests for the wider world: example gulls
-black-headed gulls cluster together and build nests in relatively small area as protection against predators
-but nests regularly spaced, not less than 1m apart to prevent neighbours cannibalising eggs and young
choice tests for the wider world: example chickens
-when young, broiler chickens want to stay close together, but when older, space out and find it aversive to be close
asking how much animals want something
-choice only gives us a ranking, doesn’t tell us how much an individual likes/dislikes/wants something
-would they still chose something if they had to pay a price for it
asking how much animals want something example mink
-american mink want water to swim in
-had to push open a door to get to water
-when doors unweighted, mink used all the resources
-with water bath, mink kept pushing door even when it weighed 1.25kg (maximum mink can push)
MPP
maximum paid price
asking how much animals want something example cows
want access to grooming brushes as much as they want access to food
asking how much animals want something example sheep
-experiment on electro-mobilisation during shearing
-sheep run down corridor where at the end they are either physically restrained, physically restrained and immobilised or not restrained at all
-after becoming familiar with treatment, electro-immobilised sheep went slower down corridor until they became reluctant to approach the end of the runway
cognitive bias or judgement bias
-depressed people make more pessimistic judgements about ambiguous stimuli
-anxious people in social situations are more likely to interpret ambiguous facial expression as angry or negative
cognitive bias or judgement bias usage
-assess the long term effects of an animal either having or not having what it wants
-assess mood rather than immediate response
what is the value of wild animal welfare for restoration ecology
-ecpsystem function supports all of the biotic community
-people may be willing to forgo aesthetic or economic benefit to ensure animal well-being
stress on ecosystem
-stress causes negative behavioural and ecological reactions that compromise;
-surivial
-reproductive success
-performance of keystone behaviours
-provide relief from stressors e.g. humans
ecosystem integrity
ability of an ecosystem to support and sustain characteristic and ecological functioning and biodiversity
restoration effects
resume ecosystem processes by reintroducing animals with roles as consumers or ecosystem engineers
reduce mechanistic uncertainty by focusing on individuals- albatross
-vunerability in albatross has shown to decrease with age due to juveniles being less competent at foraging
-foraging and navigating performance depend on early life experiences through learning
what is the value of wild animal welfare for restoration ecology : conclusions
-several aspects of welfare can modify patterns of species, communities and ecosystems
-restoration ecology could engage the perspective of animal welfare to advance a human-nature relationship infused with empathy and altruism
veterinary surgeons opinions on dog welfare issues : results
-most common issue reported to be obesity
-followed by chronic pain/poor mobility and breed related conditions
veterinary surgeons opinions on dog welfare issues : Importance
most important issues for individual dogs were the ‘lack of treatment, including euthanasia, for suffering’, ‘abuse or active cruelty’ and ‘malnutrition’
should vets do more?
-generally agreed that veterinary professional should do more about many issues
-mostly about breed-related conditions, obesity and behavioural problems
should vets do more? frequency
-frequency is a greater determinant on the level of agreement that more should be done by veterinary professionals
-less common issues have lower agreement that more should be done
animal sentience: where are we and where are we heading?-reference
-2012
-Helen proctor
a brief history of animal sentience
-Descartes saw animal as automata (machines), incapable of feeling suffering
-Jeremy Bentham, 1789, posed question ‘can animals suffer’
-McDougall argued that emotions drive behaviour
James Burgh
-politician
-was concerned over children views of animal suffering
-children should view animals as being able to feel even though they cannot complain, and that cruelty towards them is no different to cruelty towards ourselves
Brambell Committee 1965
-welfare of animals in farming
-importance of sentience, took into consideration feelings and behaviour
Anthropomorphism
-Attribution of human characteristics to an animal
-makes assumptions about how animals are feeling/why they are ‘feeling’ that way
