Research into animal cognition requires direct engagement with animals, raising important ethical questions about methodology, confinement, and the use of study subjects.
Animals used in cognitive research, particularly great apes and cetaceans, often live long lives that outlast specific research projects, creating ongoing care obligations. The social deprivation inherent in many laboratory settings harms animals whose cognition research demonstrates their social complexity. There is an inherent ethical tension in using the cognitive abilities discovered through research to justify continued study in suboptimal conditions. Research that demonstrates high cognition should intensify welfare protections, not perpetuate problematic conditions.