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“Like the cat that took the cream”: animals feel emotions very similar to humans: they exhibit positive moods when they “win” and pessimism when they “lose,” the study states
- Animal behavior experts have traditionally failed to consider the role of emotions
- While humans can report how they feel, the emotions of animals are enigmatic
- Belfast researchers looked at studies on animal competitions for resources
- They found that the winners performed more confidently after the wins, unlike the losers
- This shows that emotions can help drive various animal behaviors
One study claimed that animals show positive moods when they “win” and pessimism when they “lose,” suggesting that they feel emotions just like us.
In a review study, Belfast experts used the example of animal contests – for limited resources or companions – to argue that emotions influence animal behavior.
Scientists studying animal behavior traditionally have not considered the role of emotion, which is difficult to accurately measure in an animal.
However, the team concluded, animals behave differently after the contest results, with those losing, for example, developing a negative emotional state.
This, in turn, makes them evaluate their chances of winning future fights more pessimistically and can discourage them from engaging rivals.
On the other hand, winners develop positive moods which have the opposite effect.
Emotion could also drive non-reflexive actions of animals in other contexts besides competitions, from reporting to mate selection and parental care.
That said, the findings could have implications for animal welfare and how it could be improved, the researchers noted.
One study claimed that animals show positive moods when they “win” and pessimism when they “lose,” suggesting that they experience emotions just like us. In the photo, a contained cat
“Human emotions affect unrelated cognition and behavior. For example, people rate their overall life satisfaction higher on sunny days than on rainy days,” said the journal’s author and animal behaviorist Andrew Crump. , from Queen’s University of Belfast.
Similar phenomena can be seen in animals, the team said.
‘We found that animals’ emotions also affect uncorrelated cognition and behavior. For example, animals that won a contest experienced a more positive mood and expected fewer predators in their environment.
Likewise, animals that lost a race experienced negative emotions and took part in less future contests. These entrainment effects can lead to maladaptive behaviors. ‘
“The stimuli or events that elicit emotional responses could influence virtually any decision, potentially with life-or-death consequences,” continued Dr. Crump.
‘For example, is the rustle of leaves a predator or the wind? Anxious animals will likely interpret rustling as a predator and run away.
“This mood is adaptive when the anxiety is relevant, for example if it has been induced by previous experiences of predator attacks.”
“But the mood is maladaptive if it has been induced by something else, like losing a race,” he added.
“In these circumstances, when the emotional basis of the decision is unrelated to the decision itself, we anticipate maladaptive decision making.”
In a review study, Belfast experts used the example of animal contests – for limited resources or companions – to argue that emotions influence animal behavior. In the photo, two male fiddler crabs are fighting. According to the new study, the winner will develop a better mood and rank his chances of success in future contests even higher.
“Animal behavior researchers generally do not currently take animal emotions into account in their work,” said paper author and animal behavior expert Gareth Arnott of Queen’s University Belfast.
‘The results of this study show that this may need to be considered as the role of animals’ emotions is critical in relation to understanding their subsequent behavior.’
Understanding these emotions also has practical benefits for the future of animal welfare. Good welfare requires animals to have few negative emotions and plenty of opportunities for positive experiences. ‘
“Understanding the emotions of animals and why they have evolved will help us, therefore, to measure and improve the emotional states and welfare of animals.”
The full study results were published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
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