A network perspective on animal welfare

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-248
Author(s):  
T Rowland ◽  
TW Pike ◽  
OHP Burman
Keyword(s):  
Welfare State ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Network Theory ◽  
Latent Variable ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Network Modelling ◽  
Cognitive Components ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Animal Welfare Science ◽  
Research Questions

The scientific study of animal welfare involves measuring physiological, behavioural, and/or cognitive variables to infer the welfare state of animals. Such an approach implies these measures are indicators, or reflect, an unmeasured latent variable of welfare state. Drawing inspiration from recent developments in human psychology and psychiatry, in this paper we propose an alternative perspective in the form of a network theory of animal welfare. This theory posits that there is no latent variable; rather, welfare is a network system of causal interactions between and within behavioural, physiological, and cognitive components. We then describe a statistical network modelling approach motivated by network theory, in which welfare-related response variables are associated with each other after controlling for all other variables measured. In three examples using simulated data, we demonstrate how this approach can be used, and the sort of novel insights it can bring. These examples cover a range of species and research questions, which network analysis is well suited to address. We believe a network approach to animal welfare science holds promise for developing our understanding of the concept of animal welfare, as well as producing practical and meaningful information to improve the welfare of animals.

scholarly journals PSIV-33 The Animal Welfare Assessment Contest® as a Tool to Promote Animal Welfare Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 468-468
Author(s):  
Sharon Kuca ◽  
Lindsey McKinney ◽  
Cia Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Educational Tool ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Behavioral Indicators ◽  
Animal Welfare Science ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Animal Welfare Assessment ◽  
Strongly Agree

Abstract Established in 2001, the Animal Welfare Assessment Contest® (AWJAC®) aims to be an innovative educational tool for enhancing understanding and awareness of welfare issues affecting animals used for human purposes (e.g., research, agriculture, entertainment, companionship). The contest is open to participation by veterinary, undergraduate, and graduate students who may participate as individuals or as part of a team. A limited number of veterinarians are also eligible to compete as non-placing participants. Participation in the contest entails assessment of live and computer-based scenarios encompassing data, photographs, and videos of animals in comparable situations. Students then use the information obtained to rank the welfare of the animals in those situations on the basis of physiologic and behavioral indicators, with attention to facilities and management, and present their analyses orally to expert judges. The species featured change each year of the contest. At the completion of each contest, participants and coaches are asked to anonymously complete a written survey. The quantitative and qualitative results of this survey are used to determine if the contest has achieved its aims and incorporate suggestions for improvement of future contests. The majority of survey respondents from the five contests held between 2014–2018 report they either strongly agree or agree that the AWJAC increased their knowledge of animal welfare science (98%, n = 549) and was an overall valuable experience (99%, n = 547) that they would recommend to their peers (98%, n = 550). Respondents cited networking opportunities and diversity of species featured in the contest as key reasons the contest is valuable. Given these results, the AWJAC is successfully achieving its aims to increase animal welfare knowledge in an innovative way.

Animal welfare science—Working at the interface between the natural and social sciences

2006 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vonne Lund ◽  
Grahame Coleman ◽  
Stefan Gunnarsson ◽  
Michael Calvert Appleby ◽  
Katri Karkinen
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Animal Welfare Science ◽  
Science Working

scholarly journals Putting the Horse Before the Cart: the Ethical Case for Animal Patient Values in EBVM

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Mills
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Surgical Intervention ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Therapeutic Benefit ◽  
Natural Behaviour ◽  
Do No Harm ◽  
Or Practice ◽  
Animal Welfare Science ◽  
Patient Values ◽  
The Individual

<p>Patient values represents one of the three cornerstones of contemporary human EBM definitions, and are considered vital to both protect the patient from the tyranny of unsuitable treatment and to ensure the individual is central in clinical decisions. They comprise “unique preferences, concerns and expectations of each patient” (Sackett et al 1996). By stark contrast, EBVM replaces individual patient values with “circumstances of each patient, and the circumstances and values of the owner/carer” (CEVM 2015). There is a danger that in such a conception, animal welfare may not be prioritised in EBVM practice.</p><p>Animal patients are not philosophically or scientifically likely to possess the complex values of humans, but it is conceivable that they possess ‘values’ in the context of veterinary interventions, such as preferences, wants, needs and desires; indeed these underlie much animal welfare science. They may be basic, such as the avoidance of suffering and a desire to continue life, or more complex, such as a desire to maximise pleasure or natural behaviour. They are likely to be individual and dynamic. They may be defined as the unique dynamic mental preference state of an animal during the period of veterinary medical or surgical intervention, including avoidance of suffering and maximisation of health and pleasure.</p><p>EBVM’s current consideration of patient values only extends to demonstrating effectiveness, or not, of an intervention for an animal. Any intervention involves some physical or mental welfare compromise for animal patients, which may be severe; EBVM aims to ensure this harm 'cost' is consistently outweighed by therapeutic 'benefit'. However, in current EBVM the evidence is often weak, incomplete, contradictory, fuzzy, non-existent or inapplicable, meaning there is a significant risk of causing harm to the patient’s welfare when practising EBVM. This stands in opposition to a veterinary surgeon’s oath and ethical imperative to do no harm, and to do the best for her patients’ welfare (RCVS 2015).</p><p>At what point does the risk become ethically unacceptable? The answer comprises both philosophical considerations, and empirical, critically anthropomorphic attributions of values to animals. Such conceptions and techniques are not currently explicitly expounded in EBVM research or practice. Rather than being marginalised or excluded from definitions of EBVM, this presentation will argue that patient values should be the central, primary and overriding consideration in both its practice and research if EBVM is to be an ethically acceptable pursuit.</p><br /> <img src="https://www.veterinaryevidence.org/rcvskmod/icons/oa-icon.jpg" alt="Open Access" />

scholarly journals The mutual specification of genres and audiences: Reflective two-mode centralities in person-to-culture data

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Lizardo
Keyword(s):  
Network Analysis ◽  
Empirical Analysis ◽  
Network Theory ◽  
Cultural Sociology ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Criterion Validity ◽  
Measurement Framework ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Cultural Choices ◽  
The Empirical Analysis

Recent developments at the intersection of cultural sociology and network theory suggest that the relations between persons and the cultural forms they consume can be productively analyzed using conceptual resources and methods adapted from network analysis. In this paper I seek to contribute to this developing line of thinking on the culture-networks link as it pertains to the sociology of taste. I present a general analytic and measurement framework useful for rethinking traditional survey (or population) based data on individuals and their cultural choices as a “two mode” persons X genres network. The proposed methodological tools allow me to develop a set of “reflective” metrics useful for ranking both persons and genres in terms of the pattern of choices and audience composition embedded in the cultural network. The empirical analysis shows that these metrics have both face and criterion validity, allowing us to extract useful information that would remain out of reach of standard quantitative strategies. I close by outlining the analytic and substantive implications of the approach.

scholarly journals Inhabitation as a process:

IDEA JOURNAL ◽  
2011 ◽  
pp. 112-121
Author(s):  
Fátima Pombo ◽  
Wouter Bervoets ◽  
Hilde Heynen
Keyword(s):  
Critical Theory ◽  
Network Theory ◽  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Complex Phenomenon ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Domestic Spaces ◽  
Profound Impact ◽  
Domestic Interiors ◽  
Research Questions

The process of ‘inhabitation’, the process of appropriating interior, domestic spaces by individuals, is a complex phenomenon that has been studied in different disciplines and relies upon different theoretical frameworks. These frameworks often remain implicit, whereas they nevertheless have a profound impact as to how the economy of the interior is conceptualised. This paper sets out to map three of these frameworks. We discuss phenomenology, critical theory and Actor-Network-Theory (ANT). Phenomenology holds that the home is a place deeply needed by all individuals in order to be able to really reach their potential. Critical Theory rather seeks to unravel the hidden meanings of domestic interiors as tied up with the logics of capitalist economy, patriarchy and hetero-normativity. ANT studies home interiors as complex entanglements of objects and people that can only be fully understood when taking these interrelations into account. The paper argues that the choice of a particular framework should correlate with the research questions one is asking and with the motivations that drive particular research projects.

Likelihood-Based Inference for Multi-Color Optical Mapping

2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liping Tong ◽  
Laurens Mets ◽  
Mary Sara McPeek
Keyword(s):  
Latent Variable ◽  
Optical Mapping ◽  
Physical Map ◽  
Profile Likelihood ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Mapping Procedure ◽  
Recognition Sites ◽  
Estimate Error

Multi-color optical mapping is a new technique being developed to obtain detailed physical maps (indicating relative positions of various recognition sites) of DNA molecules. We consider a study design in which the data consist of noisy observations of multiple copies of a DNA molecule marked with colors at recognition sites. The primary goal is to estimate a physical map. A secondary goal is to estimate error rates associated with the experiment, which are potentially useful for analysis and refinement of the biochemical steps in the mapping procedure. We propose statistical models for various sources of error and use maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to construct a physical map and estimate error rates. To overcome difficulties arising in the maximization process, a latent-variable Markov chain version of the model is proposed, and the EM algorithm is used for maximization. In addition, a simulated annealing procedure is applied to maximize the profile likelihood over the discrete space of sequences of colors. We apply the methods to simulated data on the bacteriophage lambda genome.

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