Measuring Positive Welfare

Question 1

True or false
Some of the definitions of welfare include positive aspects of welfare
Other definitions of welfare simply emphasise the absence of negative welfare

Answer 1

True

Question 2

True or false
Examining the different approaches to defining welfare has led to, over the last 20 years or so, to increasing interest in positive states and what they might mean
This is due to the view that absence of poor welfare does not mean good welfare

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Positive states have traditionally been ignored due to the traditional view that positive states are less important than negative states
Give 3 examples of this

Answer 3

Positive states are viewed as satisfying opportunities vs a fitness need
People seem more comfortable attributing negative emotions to animals than positive ones
Legislation is focused on minimising poor welfare and not considering promoting positive welfare

Question 4

In the field of positive psychology what is wellbeing considered to be?

Answer 4

In the field of positive psychology wellbeing is considered to be the experience of pleasant emotions (and mood states), and low negative emotions (and mood states)

Question 5

True or false

In humans lower wellbeing scores are associated with lower mortality and morbidity

Answer 5

False

In humans greater wellbeing scores are associated with lower mortality and morbidity

Question 6

There’s common brain structures and brain chemistry involved in reward processing that’s shared across mammals
What are these shared structure and chemistry?

Answer 6

The common brain structures are sub-neo-cortical limbic circuities
The common brain chemistry is dopamine and opiates

Question 7

True or false

Similar reward systems to mammals have been identified in examination of avian brain structure and chemistry

Answer 7

True

Question 8

True or false
Because there are similar reward systems to mammals and mammals have a conserved reward system the principal of homology can be used to aid identification of positive affective state indicators

Answer 8

True

Question 9

What are the 4 concepts of how positive and negative aspects of welfare interrelate?

Answer 9

1) Some argue that positive and negative welfare are at opposite ends of a valence scale
This would suggest that the absence of negative welfare might lead you further along to positive welfare

2) Another idea is that there is a neutral point where there is no negative welfare but no positive welfare
In the neutral state you need more positive experiences to get you past a neutral state

3) Another interpretation of positive and negative welfare is that they might be qualitatively different aspects of welfare

4) Another concept of how they might interrelate is that they could actually be different aspects of welfare that may be supported by different brain circuits
In this situation overall welfare is a balance of its negative and positive components but there’s no compensation between them

Question 10

True or false

Each discrete emotion can be described with the valence and arousal dimensions

Answer 10

True

Question 11

What does Mendl et al 2010 and others suggest about the evolution of emotions?

Answer 11

Mendl et al 2010 and others have suggested that emotions evolved over time to guide the organism into activities that are going to maximise fitness by either:
Avoiding threatening/punishing activities and situations
Maximising acquisition of fitness enhancing rewards

Question 12

How does Mendl et al 2010 conceptualise negative affective states?

Answer 12

Mendl et al would conceptualise the negative affective state as being in association of being either a:
Threat to fitness
This is associated with low valence and high arousal

       Absence or loss of a fitness enhancing situation associated with reward
                This is associated with low valence and low arousal

Question 13

How does Mendl et al 2010 conceptualise positive affective states?

Answer 13

Mendl et al 2010 would conceptualise positive affective states as being associated with either:
Appetitive motivational states underpinning seeking and obtaining rewards
This is associated with high valence and high arousal

      Absence of threat or post-consummatory states
              This is associated with high valence and low arousal

Question 14

What is a post-consummatory state?

Answer 14

Post-consummatory states are where the reward has been obtained and there’s satisfaction afterwards

Question 15

Positive affective states have been less studied than negative affective states
However what do we know about positive affective states?

Answer 15

What we do know is that positive affective states tend to be:
Less intense
More labile
More subtle

Question 16

True or false

To date research in positive affective states has focused on long-term states

Answer 16

False

To date research in positive affective states has focused on short-term states

Question 17

What do you need in a study to test for positive affective states?

Answer 17

You need negative and neutral contexts and events to discriminate between them
This is so we know the indicator can consistently discriminate between positive and negative situations or states

Question 18

What are the 3 reasons that there are few validated indicators of positive affective states?

Answer 18

1) We need our measure of positive affect to discriminate from negative affect
2) Requires testing/controlling for arousal be valence
3) Requires generalisation across different positive contexts

Question 19

What are the 3 validity criteria for an valid indicator?

Answer 19

1) They can show homology with humans
2) They can discriminate between negative and positive situations
3) they correlate with other validated indicators

Question 20

Give examples of potential indicators of positive affective states

Answer 20

Approach
Play
Anticipatory behaviour
Affiliative behaviour
Cognitive bias
Vocalisation
Facial expression
Ear posture
Body posture
Qualitative Behavioural Assessments
Heart rate variability
Oxytocin
Peripheral temperature
Endorphins

Question 21

Explain how approach can be used as an indicator of positive affective states

Answer 21

The assumption is that, like humans, animals generally approach things that they like
This correlates with Mendl et al 2010’s appetitive motivational states underpinning seeking/obtaining reward behaviour
As a result animals will seek things that benefit their fitness and that will be corresponding with reduced incidence of negative welfare indicators and/or increase in positive ones

However sometimes animals approach threatening stimuli

Question 22

Give 2 examples of vocalisations that are indicators of positive affective states

Answer 22

High frequency 55kHz chirps rats make

Food calls in hens

Question 23

What criteria does a play indicator of positive affective states have to meet to be valid?

Answer 23

1) The 3 criteria for a valid indicator
2) Play can be defined as not fully functional
3) Play is characterised as self-rewarding
4) Play differs in structure and/or timing from the adult, ‘serious’ form of the behaviour
5) Play is performed repeatedly but not in a stereotypic fashion
6) Play is initiated when the animal is in a ‘relaxed field’

Question 24

What are the 3 main types of at and explain what they are?

Answer 24

1) Locomotor play
Locomotor play is associated with the individual playing alone and not interacting with anything else

2) Object play
Object play is where an animal is interacting with a specific object

3) Social play
Social play is where an individual plays with another conspecific

Question 25

True or false
Identifying play can be difficult as it often resembles other functional behaviours
Due to this some species signal play

Answer 25

True

Question 26

How can play indicate absence of negative welfare?

Answer 26

Play is less likely to occur in threatening conditions

Animals are less likely to play if they are depressed, injured or sick

Question 27

How can play indicate presence of positive welfare?

Answer 27

Animals may work to obtain opportunities to play with toys or conspecifics

Animals may exhibit other positive indicators when playing

Question 28

What must we be careful of when looking at the other positive indicators when an animal is playing?

Answer 28

The other positive indicators may be species specific so we need to be careful about:

       - transferring them to another species
       - some indicators may not be practical in welfare assessment situations

Question 29

What are the 2 problems with play as an indicator of positive affective states?

Answer 29

There are age effects

Some evidence is contradictory

Question 30

True or false
Anticipation of positive events are proposed to bee rewarding as it fits the appetitive motivational states underpinning seeking/obtaining reward

Answer 30

True

Question 31

Why do you need to interpret anticipatory behaviour with care?

Answer 31

Background mood states can impact short term anticipation

Question 32

True or false

Facial expressions and ear posture are indicators of positive welfare across different species

Answer 32

True

Question 33

True or false

Infrared thermography can be used as an indicator of positive welfare

Answer 33

True

Question 34

What are the 5 ways to promote positive states?

Answer 34

1) Stimulation of play
2) Giving the opportunity to perform highly motivated behaviour that appears to be intrinsically rewarding
3) Anticipating/working for a reward
4) Grooming/allogrooming in some species
5) Possible social/emotional contagion