ARE FISH CONSCIOUS?
Studies described in chapter 4 of
Do Fish Feel Pain? by Victoria Braithwaite
Braithwaite Distinguishes 3 Kinds of Consciousness
EVIDENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS (MENTAL REPRESENTATION) �The Spanish Goldfish Study
EVIDENCE OF CONSIOUSNESS (MENTAL REPRESENTATION)
Stanford Cichlid Study
You are looking down on two tanks in a room. Sylvester can see the other fish, who fight a lot.
A wins over B
B wins over C
C wins over D
D wins over E
Does Sylvester notice all of this? Can he makes this deduction?
A would win over E
B would win over D
To answer, researchers tested out who Sylvester preferred to fight with. They transferred different fish into the two ends of Sylvester’s tank.
Background fact: Goldfish like to fight AND like to win.
EVIDENCE OF CONSIOUSNESS (MENTAL REPRESENTATION)
Stanford Cichlid Study
SYLVESTER FIGHTS WITH E, NOT A
He must have mentally represented--
A wins over B
B wins over C
C wins over D
D wins over E
He must have deduced
A would win over E
E is more easily trounced
Better for me to fight with E
HE SWIMS TO E
EVIDENCE OF CONSIOUSNESS (MENTAL REPRESENTATION)
Stanford Cichlid Study
SYLVESTER FIGHTS WITH D, NOT B
He must have represented
A wins over B
B wins over C
C wins over D
He must have deduced
B would win over D
D is more easily trounced
Better for me to fight with D
HE SWIMS TO D
EVIDENCE OF CONSIOUSNESS (MENTAL REPRESENTATION)
Stanford Cichlid Study
EVIDENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS (FEELINGS)
Belfast Trout Socialization Study
You are looking down on four tanks in a room. The trout tolerates the shocks, to be near other trout. The goldfish avoids the shocks.
EVIDENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS (FEELINGS) Braithwaite Lego Tower Study
Now you are looking at a fish tank from the side. Trout normally avoid objects. Trout injected with vinegar don’t avoid novel objects. When they are given morphine, they do avoid novel objects. Best explanation, according to Braithwaite: the vinegar causes suffering, the morphine relieves it.
After
morphine
EVIDENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS (SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS)
Cooperative hunting
She defines this as "the experience of thinking about your own actions, being able to mentally consider different possible scenarios and then modify your decisions on how to act if necessary." (p. 106) CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE VIDEO