Animal Behavior & Welfare: Understanding, Assessing, and Improving Wellbeing

What is animal behavior?

Everything an animal does, including movements, posture, vocalizations, social interactions, feeding, and resting.

Why does behavior matter in animal health?

It often serves as the earliest and most practical signal of issues such as pain, fear, or illness.

What is functional behavior?

Behavior that has a purpose from the animal’s perspective, such as using anti-predator strategies.

What is ethology?

The scientific study of behavior, particularly in naturalistic contexts.

What are proximate causes?

Immediate triggers of behavior, such as sensory cues and hormonal responses.

What are ultimate causes?

The evolutionary function of behavior, explaining how it helped ancestors survive.

How does domestication affect animal behavior?

It changes traits through selection, such as reduced fear or increased social tolerance.

What is species-typical behavior?

Common behaviors exhibited by healthy members of a species.

What does behavior indicate about welfare?

Behavior is a crucial indicator of welfare but can be misleading if relied on alone.

What is an ethogram?

A catalog of clearly defined behaviors for a species or context.

What is continuous recording?

A sampling method that records all occurrences or duration of behavior.

What is focal sampling?

Watching one individual for a specific time to study social interactions and behaviors.

What is scan sampling?

Recording what each animal is doing at set intervals for time budgets.

What is all-occurrence sampling?

Recording every instance of a specific behavior during observations.

What does reliability mean in behavioral measurement?

The consistency of a method, where similar results are obtained across time and observers.

What does validity mean in behavioral measurement?

Whether you are truly measuring what you intend to measure.

What are common biases in observation?

Observer expectancy, sampling bias, and visibility bias.

What is habituation?

A reduced response to a repeated, harmless stimulus.

What is sensitization?

An increased response to repeated exposure to an intense or unpredictable stimulus.

What is classical conditioning?

Learning that occurs when a neutral cue predicts something meaningful.

What is operant conditioning?

Learning through consequences that affect behavior.

What is positive reinforcement?

Adding something desirable to increase a behavior.

What is negative reinforcement?

Removing something aversive to increase a behavior.

What is positive punishment?

Adding something aversive to reduce a behavior.

What is negative punishment?

Removing something valued to reduce a behavior.

What is imprinting?

Rapid learning that occurs during a sensitive early period of development.

What is a time budget?

The proportion of time spent in different behaviors like feeding, resting, and grooming.

What are preference tests?

Tests that offer options and measure an animal's choices.

What is a need in animal welfare?

Something essential for maintaining health and a tolerable internal state.

What is an example of frustration in animals?

Redirected behavior when a need, such as exploration, is unmet.

What is stress in animals?

A state arising when an animal perceives a challenge to stability or wellbeing.

What is acute stress?

A short-term response to a specific challenge.

What is chronic stress?

Sustained or repeated challenges that have long-term negative effects.

What is the distinction between fear and anxiety?

Fear is a response to immediate threats; anxiety is anticipation of potential threats.

What are coping strategies?

Ways animals respond to stress, either actively (escape) or passively (freezing).

What are the Five Freedoms of animal welfare?

Framework to ensure animal welfare: freedom from hunger, discomfort, pain, ability to express normal behavior, and fear.

What is the Five Domains model?

A model that connects physical/functional factors to the animal's mental experience.

What does wellbeing encompass in animal welfare?

The overall balance of positive and negative experiences over time.

What is the goal of a welfare assessment?

To collect evidence and interpret it to judge welfare status and identify improvements.

What are animal-based measures in welfare?

Observable indicators in animals, like behavior, body condition, or health status.

What are resource-based measures in welfare?

Indicators based on the environment provided to the animals, such as space and access to food.

What are common animal-based indicators?

Body condition, gait/lameness, injuries, and behavioral expression.

What is welfare-friendly healthcare delivery?

Providing veterinary care that minimizes stress, fear, and pain.

What are stereotypies?

Repetitive, invariant behaviors with no obvious goal, often linked to stress.

What is aggression in animal behavior?

A response that can vary based on fear, pain, or resource competition.

What is a welfare improvement plan?

A structured process to diagnose problems, implement changes, and evaluate welfare outcomes.