A glimpse into the animal emotional world
- Nqoba Maryln Sibenke
- Jan 27, 2021
- 4 min read
Psychology has been defined as the scientific study of human behavior. However in a number of studies Psychology research has focused on the study of animal behavior and how it relates to human behavior a study known as Comparative Psychology. The most famous experiments include Pavlov's study on learning conducted on dogs. It therefore suggests that there are some similarities in some aspects of behavior.
Of importance is the aspect of family and belonging. This aspect is evident in both wild and domestic animals. Lions for example have been known to move in groups known as prides. This can be observed in different wild animals like the Zebras, elephants among others. Extensive observation with reflect that animals display individual differences in character, disposition and personalities. If you have some cats at home you'll probably notice the individual differences in character that suggest individual personalities. We have friendly dogs and aggressive dogs. An interesting aspect in animals is the individual difference in parenting style within the same species. This is another clear indication of varied personalities.
For a long time it has been believed that animals behavior on instinct and that most of
their behavior is learnt from previous experiences. While this is true , research is proving that animal behavior may be more than just a product of learning. Of interest is the aspect of animal emotions.Animal emotions have been a controversial issue for a long time. Some research has suggested that animal behavior can be attributed to other factors rather than emotion. It is however unquestionable that animals experience a range of emotions from fear to love and grief. Having observed a mother cat who had lost a kitten and noted the change in behavior I asked myself "Do animals experience grief? And this led to a journey of exploring studies on animal emotions. This article explores some research in this area.
Studies in neuroscience have established that animals are physiologically equipped to love and show affection to each other and also to humans. High traces of oxytocin(the love hormone) have been found in dogs after cuddling. In different circumstances dopamine was also found to be high after mating. This suggests that animals do experience attachment and love. Having established that animals do form attachment which is a form of love and they do display affection we can therefore conclude that they experience loss and hence they grieve. Marc Bekoff (2007) suggests that animals display grief, care and empathy towards each other as well as towards human companions. Studies have concluded that animals experience grief when they lose a mate or a member of their family. it has been suggested that negative emotions might be a result of realizing that their mate or family member is missing and is no longer coming back. some animals have been seen roaming around and searching for the body of a missing family member.
Although some scientists attribute emotional behavior to altruism. Altruism assumes that animals engage in behavior that favors their survival. In other words they do not help because they want to but they help because it will benefit them and their species. Dogs have been known to be man's friend and several studies have been conducted to determine the emotional nature of dogs. of interest is the bond that dogs develop with their owners. A study by Daniel Mills confirmed that dogs do develop attachments with their caregivers. This means that dogs can relate to humans on a personal level. In a study published in the September 2012 issue of Animal cognition an interesting aspect of the animal-human relationship was unraveled. Research discovered that dogs seemed to relate with human sorrow and grief. They approached humans who are grieving and offered comfort. Brain scans conducted by Gregory Berns, a neuroscientist confirmed these results.
Anthropologist Barbara J. King author of How Animals Grieve(2014) gives an analogy of how different animals react to death. A quote from the University of Chicago press review of the book states: "King tells of elephants surrounding their matriarch as she weakens and dies, and, in the following days, attending to her corpse as if holding a vigil. A house-cat loses her sister, from whom she’s never before been parted, and spends weeks pacing the apartment, wailing plaintively. A baboon loses her daughter to a predator and sinks into grief." These examples from the book help us understand more clearly the experience of grief in animals.
Signs of grief include changes in eating patterns and sleep patterns, seeking excessive attention, or withdrawal, crying and mourning, moving around as if in search of lost mate. It is interesting to note how some of the signs are similar to human grief signs. Neuroscientist
Lori Marino and Kristin Allen in their article "The Psychology of Cows" unearthed the emotional side of cows. Similarly to humans Cortisol levels increased in cows when they were stressed. This is an indication that cows do experience emotion. In the case of death some cows display grieve through crying. The studies conducted reflected physiological changes that accompanied negative emotions.
While a number of studies have concentrated on domestic animals and birds, research has suggested that wildlife also experience emotion. It should be noted that Mammals have brain structure and physiological make-up similar to humans. Indicates that there are similarities in the functions of mammals. As research in the field of animal behavior broadens much more will be discovered about animals that we have ignored for long. I believe an understanding of animal behavior will bring a new dimension in animal-human interactions. It should be noted that the article only serves as a stimulation to probe further reading. I encourage readers to research more and send feedback.
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Sources
Bekoff, M. (2007). The emotional lives of animals. Novato, CA: New World Library.
King, B. J. (2013). How animals grieve. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Bekoff M BioScience, Volume 50, Issue 10, October 2000, Pages 861–870,
Custance.D, Mayer. J, Empathic-like responding by domestic dogs (Canis- familiaris) to
distress in humans: An exploratory study 2012 · Animal Cognition 15(5):851-9
Marino, L., & Allen, K. (2017). The psychology of cows. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 4(4), 474-498. https://dx.doi.org/10.26451/abc.04.04.06.2017
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