Mapping profiles of animal affect

Abstract

The study of animal consciousness typically focuses on the distribution question: i.e., which animal taxa are conscious. However, recent work has instead suggested a dimensional approach to build up ‘consciousness profiles’ for different species; giving us the what it is like to be that animal. Here I apply a similar approach to understanding animal affect, the dimension most relevant to welfare. Different animals will have varied sets of affects, that they may experience to differing degrees. I introduce a framework for mapping out the affective ranges and intensities of different animals, using clusters of physiological and behavioural markers to construct affect profiles for each species or taxa. These profiles could help inform research on the evolution, function, and distribution of animal consciousness and affect, as well as identify the interests and welfare risks for different species.