A psychobiological framework for defining discrete emotions in animals

The term “psychobiological approach” is used in this article to describe a procedure for the evaluation and management of problem behaviour in non-human animals that was developed out of the need to develop a systematic and replicable process, that was scientifically defensible, for the discipline of clinical animal behaviour. This approach has synthesised knowledge and skills from other fields to develop a framework for the assessment of both the “motivation” and “emotion” underlying problem responses. To do this, it articulates a definition of, and relationship between emotion and motivation as separate, but interconnected, intervening variables which influence behaviour in accordance with their hierarchical organisation, with emotion above motivation. Emotion is viewed as serving an organising function constantly monitoring and preparing the animal for a range of potentially relevant, strategic responses based on the subjective importance of potentially salient stimuli in its internal and external environment (emotionally competent stimuli). By contrast, motivation is viewed as serving the control of specific responses which compete for expression under the influence of a constantly changing emotional state. This approach has generated related “psychobiological perspectives” that are of value beyond the field of management of problem behaviour, for example, in relation to the conceptualisation of discrete emotions. From a “psychobiological perspective”, discrete emotions are defined on the basis of “affordance properties” into functionally important categories initially on the basis of unconditioned stimulus features that are refined through experience. This extends the classic range of indices used to define emotional salience to include features associated with specific biologically important goals, such as avoidance of harm, increased autonomy, reproduction, care of other, etc. The approach has also highlighted several issues with the use of terminology used to describe affective states, such as the concept of anxiety, that may have obfuscated scientific thinking on these matters. These issues are of both practical significance to clinical animal behaviourists but also of academic importance as they can help to explain some of the inconsistencies described in relation to these states in the scientific literature, including differential responses to interventions including the well-established variability of psychopharmacological agents like anxiolytics. A “psychobiological perspective” also helps to clarify scientific thinking on the distinction between discrete emotions, which are relatively circumscribed, and the feelings which arise as an epiphenomenon from the blending of these, which reflect an almost infinite variety of potential brain states. It is concluded that using a “psychobiological perspective” (as defined here) has the potential to extend the nature of research and practice related to understanding animal behaviour and its management. • The “psychobiological approach” is a scientific perspective of problem behaviour. • It rationalises individualised interventions for similar behavioural phenotypes. • Discrete emotions may be categorised on the basis of functionally similar responses. • The language used to describe emotional responses is often imprecise. • Feelings reflect a brain state with regard to the totality of emotional activity.