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Year of Award
2024
Document Type
Professional Paper
Degree Type
Master of Arts (MA)
Degree Name
Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism
Department or School/College
Journalism
Committee Chair
Denise Dowling
Commitee Members
Soazig Le Bihan, Breanna McCabe
Keywords
animal minds, animal behavior, consciousness, honeybees, chickens, gray wolves
Publisher
University of Montana
Subject Categories
Behavior and Ethology | Broadcast and Video Studies | Evolution | Film Production | Journalism Studies | Philosophy of Mind
Abstract
Animals are unable to self-report their experiences to humans, and until recently, animal minds have remained shrouded in mystery. A new field of science is emerging in which researchers, determined to uncover what it means to be another species, have turned their attention to the inner lives of creatures both great and small. Through clever behavioral tests and careful observation, they seek signs of decision-making, self-awareness, and emotion in their study organisms, and what they are finding has profound implications for animal welfare.
This 26-minute documentary film will explore the evidence for consciousness and sentience in three distinct species: honeybees, Cornish cross chickens, and gray wolves. It seems we are living in a world where far more animals are capable of thinking, feeling, and suffering than Western society currently acknowledges. How might this information change the way we view the animals in an ecosystem or treat the animals in our care?
Recommended Citation
Harris, Jocelyn Doty, "Uncovering Animal Minds" (2024). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12305.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12305
© Copyright 2024 Jocelyn Doty Harris