aa-evidence-register

…Every INCLUDE and UNCERTAIN paper requires human full-text review before final inclusion. ``` --- ## Skill 3 — aa-evidence-register **Purpose:** Draft Evidence Register entries and Evidence Class ratings. **File:** `aa-evidence-register/SKILL…

gical responses (e.g., stress hormones, heart rate), neurological markers (e.g., brain activity patterns), pharmacological evidence (e.g., response to pain-relieving drugs) and evolutionary considerations (e.g., adaptive value of pain responses in each case). The framework emphasizes using multiple complementary indicators1 rather than relying on any single measurement, as each indicator provides only partial information about an animal's affective state. This multidisciplinary evidence is then evaluated (Box 1) against the criteria that define each intensity category. Each level of intensity is treated as a hypothesis, and evidence is weighed for or against it. Because certainty is rarely achievable, probabilities are assigned to each category within a segment. For example, if the available evidence during the acute inflammatory phase of an injury suggests the Pain could be either Hurtful or Disabling, but cannot clearly distinguish between them, a probability split such as 50% Hurtful and 50% Disabling may be assigned. Box 1. How the WFF uses evidence to estimate intensity and duration This box describes how scientific evidence is translated into final welfare estimates. It is important to emphasize that the translation of indirect evidence into inferred affective states is inherent to all animal welfare assessments. Behavioral indicators (e.g., vocalizations, postures, preferences, activity), physiological measures, brain activity patterns, and responses to pain-relieving drugs, are widely used to infer states like pain and positive emotions. Estimating their intensity and duration is a common challenge, addressed by most methods using expert judgment of indirect and often scarce evidence. For example, EFSA’s risk assessment model uses literature reviews and

17510813, 2020, 6, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/avj.12930. By National Health And Medical Research Council, Wiley Online Library on [30/03/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License 17510813, 2020, 6, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/avj.12930. By National Health And Medical Research Council, Wiley Online Library on [30/03/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License 17510813, 2020, 6, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/avj.12930. By National Health And Medical Research Council, Wiley Online Library on [30/03/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License 17510813, 2020, 6, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/avj.12930. By National Health And Medical Research Council, Wiley Online Library on [30/03/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License 17510813, 2020, 6, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/avj.12930. By National Health And Medical Research Council, Wiley Online Library on [30/03/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles

30/03/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License 17510813, 2020, 6, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/avj.12930. By National Health And Medical Research Council, Wiley Online Library on [30/03/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License 17510813, 2020, 6, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/avj.12930. By National Health And Medical Research Council, Wiley Online Library on [30/03/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License