What is a companion animal? An ethological approach based on Tinbergen's four questions. Critical review

Pongrácz, Péter; Dobos, Petra

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2023.106055

Cited by 13 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 239 publications

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“…It suggests that stronger emotional connections lead to more frequent and higher-quality interactions, a conclusion supported by various research findings (Borrelli et al, 2022;Junça-Silva et al, 2022;Somppi et al, 2022). From both ethological and psychological viewpoints, these findings highlight affection as a crucial factor in fostering positive human-animal interactions (Boissy et al, 2007;Rault et al, 2020;Pongrácz and Dobos, 2023).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 56%

Assessment and validation of the pet-owner relationship scale for Brazil

Lopes,

Lima

et al. 2024

Front. Psychol.

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IntroductionThis study aimed to perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the cat-owner/dog-owner relationship scales. The method involved several stages: conceptual, item, semantic, operational, measurement, and functional equivalence. Procedures included translation, synthesis of translations, back-translation, consensus on the English versions, external evaluation by the original authors, expert committee evaluation, and pre-tests.MethodsThe study surveyed 234 pet owners across Brazil using a 20-item questionnaire. Data analysis utilized confirmatory factor analysis, covariance-based modeling, and multigroup analysis.ResultsThe study confirmed the content and construct validity of the model, demonstrating good convergent validity. Hypotheses testing revealed significant inverse relationships between Perceived Cost and Perceived Emotional Closeness, and between Perceived Cost and Pet-Owner Interactions. A positive correlation was found between Perceived Emotional Closeness and Pet-Owner Interactions, with Perceived Emotional Closeness also mediating the relationship between Perceived Cost and Pet-Owner Interactions. No significant differences were found across different pet owner groups, indicating the scale’s invariance and reliability across various demographics.DiscussionThe study significantly expands understanding of the complex dynamics in pet-owner relationships and emphasizes the interplay between emotional and practical factors. It offers valuable insights for future research and practices in animal and human welfare.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 56%

Assessment and validation of the pet-owner relationship scale for Brazil

Lopes,

Lima

et al. 2024

Front. Psychol.

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“…We suggest that fundamental behaviour theory is necessary for appreciating the relationships between natural behaviour, animal care, and welfare in captive settings, e.g., the links between social interactions, developments of individual social patterns, and animal welfare states [18], to advancing our appreciation of natural behaviour and why it is an essential pillar of animal care and welfare. Our understanding of fundamental characteristics and consequential appreciation of their needs (of the species within our care) is enhanced when we align information on their evolutionary history, behavioural development, and responses to humans within a TFQ framework [19]. Given the debate around the relevance of natural behaviour to how we interpret, and provide for, animal welfare states [10,20], TFQs are given further prominence in the applied scientist's toolkit for deciphering what animals do, and what animals would like to do.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sixty Years of Tinbergen’s Four Questions and Their Continued Relevance to Applied Behaviour and Welfare Research in Zoo Animals: A Commentary

Kelly,

Rose

2024

JZBG

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Understanding animal behaviour can feel like deciphering a foreign language. In 1963, pioneering ethologist Nikolaas Tinbergen offered a key: four fundamental questions to dissect behaviour’s complexities and reduce interpretive bias. These “Four Questions” fall into two categories: Proximate (how?) and Ultimate (why?). The Proximate questions ask how the behaviour is triggered (Causation) and develops over time (Ontogeny). The Ultimate questions delve into its evolutionary history (Phylogeny) and purpose (Function). Traditionally used in behavioural ecology, Tinbergen’s framework finds new relevance in fields like sentience, welfare, conservation, and animal management. This paper illustrates how further integration of these Questions into applied research can improve outcomes. For example, captive animals can receive enrichment seemingly “unnatural” in origin and form. Does such enrichment trigger species-typical behaviours, fulfilling the same adaptive function as natural stimuli would? Understanding a species’ natural behaviour patterns and how the performance of such activities promotes positive welfare states is key to biologically relevant population management. Tinbergen’s Four Questions can help scientists to decipher the relevance of natural behaviour, and how a species’ responses to their environment indicate what individuals need and want at a specific time or place. By applying the Four Questions, we can answer this question and, in turn, refine husbandry practices and conserve behavioural diversity in managed populations. Sixty years after their conception, Tinbergen’s Four Questions remain a powerful tool for behavioural research. By embracing different biological disciplines within a unified framework, applied animal zoo science will continue to advance and provide credible evidence-based outputs.

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