Decoding (Human and other) Animals’ expression of their inner world: Insights into Mental Wellbeing
The mental health of animals—simply put, “how animals feel”—is a vital aspect of their welfare and shapes our societal approach to treating them, from wildlife, farm and companion animals to laboratory and pest species. Positive emotions and good mental health are increasingly recognized as prerequisites for physical health in both animals and humans.
While research has traditionally focused on negative emotional states (in livestock species) like stress and deprivation, there is growing interest in understanding and recognizing positive mental health and its expression. This project seeks to explore how animals communicate their inner world, using knowledge from human behaviour, communication and psychology to draw parallels and identify species-specific similarities and differences.
The goal is to investigate how animals express complex emotions, (such as joy, social support, love or grief), and to develop innovative approaches that go beyond traditional methods focused solely on fear and stress. By bridging physiological, behavioural, psychological, and communication sciences, this research aims for a holistic understanding of animal lives (e.g. How does sleep influence the intensity of emotions experienced and their corresponding expression?). It will explore responses and expressions to e.g. social support, losses, music offering fresh insights into the communication and assessment of mental wellbeing in animals.
Team members
Ingrid van Dixhoorn (WUR)
Gabriël Beckers (UU)
Sanne Schoenmakers (TU/e)