The science of animal suffering

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Research on quality of life in humans illustrates that assessments of our own well-being are only partially related to what we have. Our sense of agency (how we gain access to the things we value, including our ability to learn about different outcomes and to make informed choices) is also critical. Recent reviews have revealed that agency may be important for the welfare of nonhuman animals. Pain is a key aspect of animal welfare, but until now the effect of agency on the experience of pain in animals has not been studied. My hypothesis is that agency critically affects how pain is experienced. My more provocative claim is that, in the absence of control and predictability, pain is more likely to be considered suffering, a distinction crucial in societal concerns about welfare. I propose a series of experiments with two main goals. The first is to test the prediction that animals will show lower responses to the identical pain stimulus, if tested in situations with i) knowledge of when and where the stimuli will be applied, including specific cues that make the stimuli predictable, and ii) the ability to control exposure (duration and magnitude) to the stimulus. Human patient reports of suffering are often accompanied by depression like states (low mood). I propose that pain in animals is of particular concern if it too causes or is associated with evidence of low mood. I also argue that animals in pain will show less evidence of low mood if living in environments that afford good predictability and control. The proposed studies will include both laboratory rats and dairy cattle, as both animals are subjected to a variety of routine, painful procedures, often under conditions of poor agency, providing a baseline for the proposed studies that can be compared with conditions that provide more information and control. The studies will use a suite of both novel and established measures of pain and mood states in these animals. The proposed experiments will contribute to the basic literature in animal welfare science and on affective states in animals, and may have important implications for our understanding of the welfare of animals kept in laboratory and agricultural systems. This research will provide insights into which procedures and practices are likely to accentuate pain responses, and increase the likelihood that pain is accompanied by low mood in animals. The development of a conceptual framework and methodology for the scientific assessment of suffering in animals will help inspire new research directed at harms experienced by animals under our care. The funds will go toward training of young scientists to help meet a growing demand for academics and professionals with expertise in animal welfare research.