More than a Feeling

Abstract

Abstract This chapter reviews the available methods for assessing components of emotion, with emphasis on positive and negative emotional experiences in nonhuman animals (NHAs). The authors consider the ability of NHAs to receive and interpret signals of emotion from conspecifics and allospecifics and address the possible impacts of domestication in addition to natural selection pressures on the expression of emotion. The authors find little evidence for the hypothesis that group-living species exhibit greater emotional complexity compared to non-group-living species. They discuss challenges while emphasizing the importance of developing more objective methods for assessing emotional experiences in NHAs. They conclude that emotion is still poorly understood in NHAs. Improving this understanding will be critical for informing acceptable welfare standards and practices for captive and domestic species.