Concepts In Animal Behaviour Flashcards
(30 cards)
1
Q
Why is a clear definition for animal welfare beneficial?
A
- legislation and policy
- public statements
- scientific measurements
- education for pet owners
- is a complex concept and can have a range of perspectives and attitudes
2
Q
What is the definition for animal welfare?
A
- the welfare of an individual in its state in regards to its attempt to cope with its environment
- there is a clear focus on the state for the animal
3
Q
What does the term cope imply?
A
- implies it has a mental and physical stability to react to and withstand changes in its environment
4
Q
What is 1 of the more recent definitions for animal welfare?
A
- an animals welfare relates to its ability to adjust to, or cope successfully with the prevailing conditions in which it finds itself
- focus on characteristics of an animal, not something that is given to it
5
Q
What is the most recent definition for animal welfare?
A
- animal welfare is to do with the feeling experienced by animals: the absence of strong negative feelings, usually called suffering, and the presence of positive, usually called pleasure
- focus on the quality of life experienced by the individual
6
Q
What is welfare?
A
- welfare is about both positive and negative emotions and therefore about the satisfaction of needs and desire
7
Q
What is animal welfare?
A
- it is a multi-dimensional concept related to the state of an animal regrading to its attempt to cope with the environment
8
Q
What impacts welfare?
A
- needs
- freedoms
- coping
- control
- feelings
- stress
- health
- behaviour
- sentience
9
Q
What are the 5 freedoms?
A
- freedom from hunger and thirst
- freedom from discomfort
- freedom from pain/injury and disease
- freedom from fear and distress
- freedom to express normal patterns of behaviour
10
Q
What do the 5 freedoms ignore, and what do they provide?
A
- it ignores that animals can interact with and adapt to their environments
- they provide useful guidelines for welfare assessment in intensive farming systems but have limited use for companions animals
11
Q
What is stress defined as?
A
- as an environmental effect on an animal which over-taxes its control systems and reduces its fitness, or seems likely to do so
- this suggests welfare is best determined when an animal responds to stress in its environment
12
Q
What does the relationship between stress and welfare suggest?
A
- wherever there is stress, welfare is poor
13
Q
When is an animals welfare compromised?
A
- when an animal cannot adapt or react to the demands of the environment
- when it cannot cope in its environment
14
Q
What situations should stress refer to?
A
- stress should only refer to situations where there is failure to cope
15
Q
How do animals feelings relate to their welfare?
A
- animals are likely to have a positive welfare if its feeling pleasure, contentment and joy
- welfare is likely to be negative if its feeling pain or anxiety
16
Q
How is an animals health linked to their welfare?
A
- it can be measured on a scale as animals health and welfare changes over time
- if an animals health deteriorates then its likely that its welfare will also deteriorate
17
Q
What are the 5 welfare needs?
A
- need for a suitable environment
- need for a suitable diet
- need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
- need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals
- need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease
18
Q
How are the welfare needs defined?
A
- a need is a requirement which is fundamental to its biology to obtain a particular resource or respond to an environmental stimulus or internal state
- welfare relates to the satisfaction of needs
19
Q
What is the outcome if needs are met?
A
Needs are met
-> welfare is likely to be good
-> experience positive feelings
-> able to express natural behaviours and be responsive
20
Q
What is the outcome if needs are not met?
A
Needs are not met
-> welfare is likely to be poor
-> experience negative feelings
-> may lead to avoidance and suffering
21
Q
What is animal sentience?
A
- the ability of animals to feel and experience emotions such as joy, pleasure, pain and fear
- extends to an animals ability to learn from experience and asses risks and benefits, this relies upon abilities for being aware of changes happening around them
22
Q
What is speciesism?
A
- humans beings are alone in deserving moral consideration regardless of intelligence or ability
- whereas animals do not, so humans are superior
23
Q
What is utilitarianism?
A
- these are principles based on equal consideration given to all species
24
Q
What are the different public attitudes towards welfare?
A
- they differ due to cultural or religious beliefs, different job roles which present different objectives, or due to individual experiences
25
What is the definition for animals rights?
- animals deserve certain kinds of consideration os what is in their best interests, regardless of where they are cute, useful to humans or an endangered species, and regardless of wether any human cares about them at all
- it means recognising that animals are not ours to use for food, clothing, entertainment or experimentation
26
The Rights vs the Welfare Position - Morality
Rights - using animals is morally wrong
Welfare - using animals is morally right
27
The Rights vs the Welfare Position - Benefits
Rights - we should not use animals to benefit ourselves
Welfare - we can use animals to benefit ourselves
28
The Rights vs the Welfare Position - Interests
Rights - we should not invariably overrule the interests of animals with human interests
Welfare - our interests are always more important than the interests of animals
29
The Rights vs the Welfare Position - Pain
Rights - we should not cause pain or death on animals
Welfare - we should not cause animals unnecessary pain or death
30
The Rights vs the Welfare Position - Humane Treatment
Rights - we should always treat animals humanely and eliminate the human causes of animal suffering
Welfare - we should treat animals as humanely as convenient to us
