Do animals think and feel more than we assume they do? A survey published in Royal Society Open Science is offering a rare snapshot into current scientific thinking on animal emotions and consciousness.
Conducted by researchers at Emory University, the survey assembled views on 100 different animal behaviors, with experts from disciplines such as neuroscience, anthropology, and evolutionary biology weighing in with their opinions. The survey revealed that a significant majority of participants attributed emotions to “most” or “all or nearly all” non-human primates (98%), as well as other mammals (89%), birds (78%), and cephalopods like octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish (72%), with even fish experience emotional attribution from 53% of participants.
Notably, most participants believed that at least some members of every animal group that were considered, including insects (67%) and other invertebrates (71%), experience emotions.
“As far as we know, this is the first assessment of how animal behavior researchers across a range of disciplines think about emotions and consciousness in non-human animals,” says Marcela Benítez, assistant professor of anthropology at Emory University and corresponding author of the paper says in a statement.
“It gives us a snapshot in time so that 20 years from now, we can revisit how scientific experts may have changed their views,” Benítez said.
To add another layer of depth and complexity to the research, the survey also included questions addressing the risks in animal behavioral research, such as anthropomorphism (inaccurately projecting human experiences onto animals) and anthropodenial (willful blindness to any human-like characteristics in animals).
“It’s surprising that 89% of the respondents thought that anthropodenial was problematic in animal behavioral research, compared to only 49% who thought anthromorphism poses a risk,” Benítez says. “That seems like a big shift.” Anthromorphism, she adds, has long been a leading argument against views that attribute feelings to animals.
Another key finding showed that many researchers credited basic consciousness to a broad range of animals, albeit at lower levels than emotions. Surprisingly, this debate dates back to the 17th century, when philosophical views expressed by Aristotle and Descartes scrutinized the the idea. Aristotle famously acknowledged that animals experience emotions, but viewed them as less rational than humans. Descartes, by comparison, denied that animals have true emotions, instead attributing their behavior to mechanical processes lacking of consciousness.
Skepticism about animal emotions prevailed during the 20th century, with many still doubting that animals experienced emotions comparable to those felt by humans. However, groundbreaking work by primatologist Frans de Waal, an Emory emeritus professor, helped legitimize the study of animal cognition and emotions, ultimately challenging the long-held skepticism that had dominated such research.
Benítez’s research over the years has included studies of capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica, and has explored how emotions drive cooperation and decision-making in social contexts. As AI tools continue to advance rapidly, new behavioral tools, comparisons, and insights could soon provide even deeper insights into the emotional lives of animals.
Ultimately, understanding the complex emotions of both animals and humans helps anthropologists and other researchers better understand human evolution, Benítez emphasizes.
“New methods are helping us uncover what animals are capable of experiencing,” Benítez said, “paving the way for a deeper understanding of both animal and human emotional evolution.”
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on The Debrief’s YouTube Channel on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton and at chrissynewton.com.