Positive Psychology for Animals

Mental Health and Well-Being in Animals
Edited by Franklin D. McMillan. Ames, Iowa: Blackwell, 2005. 301 pp. Cloth, $89.99.

The revolutionary work of Donald Griffin (e.g., 1976) returned long-dormant issues of higher mental processes to the scientific study of animal behavior. Although many students of animal cognition believe that Griffin went too far, he changed the field by moving it in his direction and stimulated a wealth of research. Along with attributions of mental processes have come increased attributions of emotional states in nonhuman animals. These changes have affected not only the topics of research but also the way in which we think about nonhuman animals and how they should be treated.