Cognition as a cause, consequence, and component of welfare

Abstract A surge of interest in cognitive science has revealed unexpectedly impressive cognitive abilities in many species, including many farmed animals such as salmon, cows, and chickens. Along with these discoveries, animal welfare scientists have uncovered evidence suggesting that animals are motivated to exercise their cognitive skills and may suffer when prevented from doing so. Moreover, environments that tend to produce good welfare also tend to improve cognitive capacity, and yet, conversely, certain stressful experiences can actually enhance aspects of cognitive function. Beyond influencing cognitive ability, research has shown that good welfare also involves characteristic cognitive propensities—the motivation to seek out new information as well as the tendency to process ambiguous information positively (optimistically) versus negatively (pessimistically). How can we make sense of these complex patterns? This chapter covers the ways in which cognition—mental actions related to the processing of information—is simultaneously a cause, consequence, and component of welfare. Further disentangling the cognition–welfare relationship promises to lead to novel scientific discoveries and will help us to continue to improve the lives of the animals under our care.