Discipline: Philosophy

Balancing the Animal Affective Scales – Can the Methodology of Human Affect Balance Be Applied to Other Sentient Species?

Laura E. Webb, J. Elizabeth Bolhuis, Viktor Jurkovich, Allyson F. Ipema, Matteo Chincarini, Angélique Favreau-Peigné, Björn Forkman, Caroline Clouard, Frank Tuyttens, Heather Browning, Laura Menchetti, Margit Bak Jensen, Özkan Elmaz, Radka Šárová, Robert Głogowski, Sandra Düpjan, Stefania Celozzi, Walter Veit, Céline Tallet

Published in 2026

Concept article proposing to adapt the concept of affective balance, based on the balance between scales of positive and negative emotions, to the integrated assessment of animal welfare..

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal Categories: Cattle, Goats, Horses, Sheep, Pigs, All Animals, Poultry

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Pragmatism Bias in Farm Animal Welfare Science

Mandel R, Read E, Forkman B, Keeling LJ, Sandøe P, Tuyttens FAM, and Nicol CJ

Published in 2026

Study showing that research on farm livestock animals is influenced by a 'pragmatic bias' associated with financial and practical implementation constraints, which limit the knowledge produced. The authors call for more transparency and independence in research, centred on the needs of animals, in order to encourage more deep-reaching welfare improvements. 

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: All animals

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Review: The Roles of Individuality and Social Life in Shaping Positive Animal Welfare in Livestock Species

Charlotte Goursot, Sara Hintze, Maria Vilain Rørvang, Océane Schmitt, David Arney, Xavier Boivin, Anita Koni, Camille Montalcini, Ruth C. Newberry, Céline Tallet, Manja Zupan Šemrov, Sébastien Goumon

Published in 2026

Review highlighting that animal welfare depends on the interaction between individual characteristics and social life. It emphasizes the role of affiliative interactions, sociability, and social skills as levers for improving the welfare and management of farm animals.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

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Timescapes of Non-Human Experience

Singhal I, Birch J, Seth A

Published in 2026

Synthesis proposing an experimental framework to study the temporal structure of animal experiences, comparing the “temporal landscapes” of different species based on five experimentally-testable time windows.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

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Animal Board Invited Review: Intrinsic hedonic value, complexity, and possibility for action as essential characteristics of a welfare-friendly environment for animals

I. Veissier, C. Terlouw, R. Botreau, V. Deiss, S. Cowie

Published in 2026

Study examining how the hedonic value of the environment determines animal welfare. Welfare depends on a balance between positive emotions, environmental complexity and opportunities for behavioral expression: these factors must be optimized (rather than maximized), since an excess or a deficiency of any one of them can be harmful to welfare, with the optimal level varying by individual.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Chiens de race : l’esthétique peut-elle justifier la souffrance ?

Valérie Chansigaud

Published in 2026

Article recounting the history of the selection by breeders of animals with extreme body types and describing the health and welfare issues that result from this.

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

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La cοnditiοn des animaux dans l’agriculture industrielle peut-elle faire sοuffrir les hοmmes ? Une étude sοciοlοgique pοrtant sur les cοnflits éthiques et les tensiοns identitaires des travailleurs en prοductiοn animale

Aurora Peinado

Published in 2025

Sociological thesis analyzing ethical conflicts and identity problems among livestock workers

Document Types: Scientific work

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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La cognition, pierre angulaire des émotions et du bien-être des animaux

A. Boissy

Published in 2025

Article exploring the emotional and cognitive skills of animals, their consciousness and the affects of their psychological activity in order to arrive at the concept of animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

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Translating Ethical Principles into Law, Regulations and Workable Animal Welfare Practices

David J. Mellor, Mette Uldahl

Published in 2025

Philosophical commentary on changes in animal welfare laws. These reflect the shift in ethical approaches from the prevention of abuse to a duty of care towards animals. A four-level legal framework and a four-step assessment process make it possible to integrate explicit ethical principles into animal welfare management.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: All animals

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Evaluating animal consciousness: An emerging field shows how animal feelings can be studied scientifically

Kristin Andrews, Jonathan Birch, Jeff Sebo

Published in 2025

Article summarizing recent scientific findings on animal consciousness. Although studies on bees, cuttlefish and fish point to signs of consciousness, the latter's acceptance as evidence would have major implications for neuroscience and animal welfare. Meanwhile, the lack of a unified theory or precise definition of animal consciousness complicates its  assessment.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Cognitive processes

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