2026-09-18T20:53:10Zhttps://dspace.mit.edu/server/oai/requestoai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/926312022-02-07T15:43:01Zcom_1721.1_7582com_1721.1_7581col_1721.1_131023
Marcia Bartusiak.
Duke, Julia Jane
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Graduate Program in Science Writing.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Graduate Program in Science Writing
MIT Program in Writing & Humanistic Studies
2015-01-05T20:00:04Z
2015-01-05T20:00:04Z
2014
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92631
897735495
Thesis: S.M. in Science Writing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Humanities, Graduate Program in Science Writing, 2014.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Vita.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 24-26).
Though zoos have come far from their early days of concrete boxes in caring for their residents' physical health, zoo animals' mental health-the feelings and thoughts beneath the furry and scaly exteriors-has only recently become a serious field of research. The fear of anthropomorphism, or the furnishing of non-human entities with human characteristics such as "happy" or "depressed," has discouraged scientists for decades from approaching this seemingly unscientific and unknowable topic. But as the concept of welfare becomes increasingly lauded as the main focus of zoos, crucial to zoos' attendance, their respect by society, and their future existence, zoo keepers, curators, and researchers are beginning to seek out new ways to discover and understand their animals' true feelings-broadening 'animal welfare' to include minds as well as bodies. This thesis explores new studies, technologies, and ways of thinking about animal mental welfare among zoo researchers. Specifically, the thesis focuses on researchers at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, who have developed a unique tool for studying welfare based on the idea that animals have emotions that can and should be ascertained-and that keepers, those who spend long periods of time with the animals, have the ability to tell how their animals are feeling.
by Julia Jane Duke.
S.M. in Science Writing
26 pages
eng
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.
http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
Graduate Program in Science Writing.
The beast within : measuring the minds of zoo animals
Measuring the minds of zoo animals
Thesis
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<Abstract>Though zoos have come far from their early days of concrete boxes in caring for their residents' physical health, zoo animals' mental health-the feelings and thoughts beneath the furry and scaly exteriors-has only recently become a serious field of research. The fear of anthropomorphism, or the furnishing of non-human entities with human characteristics such as "happy" or "depressed," has discouraged scientists for decades from approaching this seemingly unscientific and unknowable topic. But as the concept of welfare becomes increasingly lauded as the main focus of zoos, crucial to zoos' attendance, their respect by society, and their future existence, zoo keepers, curators, and researchers are beginning to seek out new ways to discover and understand their animals' true feelings-broadening 'animal welfare' to include minds as well as bodies. This thesis explores new studies, technologies, and ways of thinking about animal mental welfare among zoo researchers. Specifically, the thesis focuses on researchers at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, who have developed a unique tool for studying welfare based on the idea that animals have emotions that can and should be ascertained-and that keepers, those who spend long periods of time with the animals, have the ability to tell how their animals are feeling.</Abstract>
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