Midterm - Measuring Animal Welfare

Question 1

can we measure animal welfare

Answer 1

not directly

Question 2

how do we measure animal welfare

Answer 2

measure what it is not rather than what it is

Question 3

outputs of animal welfare

Answer 3

behaviour
physiology
clinical health; production

Question 4

questions about animal behaviour

Answer 4

1. function
2. causation
3. ontogeny
4. evolution

Question 5

causal explanations

Answer 5

the immediate current factors that initiate, control and terminate the behaviour
understanding the underlying mechanism (how)

Question 6

developmental explanations

Answer 6

accounts for animals behaviour in terms of their :
previous experience
developmental stage
sequential changes in an individual across their lifespan

Question 7

evolutionary explanations

Answer 7

refers to genetic inheritances from previous generations

Question 8

examples of evolutionary explanations

Answer 8

influence of taxonomic group
effects of natural or artificial selection
sequential changes in a species across time

Question 9

function explanations

Answer 9

the beneficial consequences of the behaviour for the animals and how they outweigh any cost

Question 10

proximate functions explanation

Answer 10

benefits that are quite immediate

Question 11

ultimate function explanation

Answer 11

benefit the evolutionary fitness of the animal

Question 12

methods of assessing behaviour, preferences, strength or motivation

Answer 12

1. behavioural observation
2. preference tests
3. work that an animal will do to gain what it wants/needs
4. work that an animal will do to escape unpleasant stimuli
5. deviations from normal behaviour

Question 13

what is recorded for quantitative behavioural assessment

Answer 13

frequency
duration
latency
number of animals showing behaviour

Question 14

qualitative behaviour assessment

Answer 14

descriptive terms summarizing an animals emotional state/behaviour

Question 15

types of preference tests

Answer 15

habituation
associative learning

Question 16

habituation

Answer 16

animals learns to cease responses to any stimuli or events which have no important or relevant outcomes

Question 17

associative learning

Answer 17

animals learn that certain stimuli may be associated with reward or punishment and modify their behaviour accordingly

Question 18

considerations of preference tests

Answer 18

• previous experience may influence a preference
• short term preference vs long term welfare
• preference results are not absolute

Question 19

what does preference testing supply

Answer 19

information about animals choices or preferences

Question 20

what question does preference testing not answer

Answer 20

whether the animals welfare is worse if it cannot get what it prefers

Question 21

what is asked of an animal in motivation tests

Answer 21

to work for rewards

Question 22

how do motivation tests work

Answer 22

the amount of work an animal will perform indicates the importance of the reward to the animal (del and chicken)

Question 23

inelastic demand

Answer 23

factors essential for survival

Question 24

methods of motivation testing

Answer 24

limiting time available
operant conditioning
obstructive techniques (mazes/push doors)

Question 25

what does unpleasant stimuli testing do

Answer 25

measures how hard animal will work to avoid a stressful/painful stimuli

Question 26

non-stereotypic behaviours

Answer 26

abnormal repetitive behaviours

Question 27

stereotypies

Answer 27

identical repeated patterns of behaviour which have no obvious function

Question 28

what animal class perform rhythmic repetitive behaviour that is functional

Answer 28

vertebrates:
locomotion
breathing
eye blinking
suckling

Question 29

where is the line generally drawn between normal/abmormal behaviours

Answer 29

1 or 2 SD away from the average

Question 30

maladaptive/adaptive behaviour

Answer 30

effectiveness of an animals behaviour

Question 31

effective/adaptive behaviour

Answer 31

behaviour works for the animal (stress coping)

Question 32

ineffective/maladaptive behaviour

Answer 32

behaviour does not work/makes problem worse