Animal welfare is a state within the animal and a scientific perspective provides
methodologies for evidence-based assessment of an animal's welfare. A simplistic definition�…

Abstract Ideas within the animal welfare science arena have evolved continuously
throughout the last 30 years, and will continue to do so. This paper outlines some of these�…

This paper presents a rationale that may significantly boost the drive to promote positive
welfare states in animals. The rationale is based largely, but not exclusively, on an�…

Animal welfare is an important field of study due to animal sentience, yet there is to date no
consensus on the definition of animal welfare. There have been four key developments in�…

Contemporary animal welfare thinking is increasingly emphasising the promotion of positive
states. There is a need for existing assessment frameworks to accommodate this shift in�…

Many questions about animal welfare involve the affective states of animals (pain, fear,
distress) and people look to science to clarify these issues as a basis for practices, policies�…

In hedonic theories of motivation,'motivational affective states'(MASs) are typically seen as
adaptations which motivate certain types of behaviour, especially in situations where a�…

As a complement to the concentration on negative states in welfare science, scientists are
increasingly considering the desirability of measuring positive outcomes. Since evaluation of�…

Affective neuroscience, incorporating neurophysiology and neuropsychology, is providing
increasing evidence that certain behaviours of animals may be interpreted in terms of what�…

The scientific assessment of the well-being of an animal involves finding indicators of three
broad criteria: 1) a high level of biological functioning; 2) freedom from suffering in the sense�…