What is the adequate terminology to talk about animal behaviour? Is terminology referring to mental or emotional states anthropomorphic and should therefore be prohibited or is it a necessary means to provide for an adequate description and should be encouraged? This question was vehemently discussed in the founding phase of Ethology as a scientific discipline and still is. This multi-layered problem can be grasped by using the concept of methodological signatures, developed by Köchy et al. (2016c). It is designed to analyse and systematically compare animal research approaches by examining their common parameters. By examining the works of Konrad Lorenz (1903–1989) and Nikolaas Tinbergen (1907–1988), this paper offers new insights both on a methodological and theoretical level. Methodologically, the application of the concept of methodological signatures is illustrated; theoretically, the principles of Classic Ethology are analysed. My aim is to illustrate how the problem of scientific access to animal subjectivity was addressed in the history of Ethology by analysing statements about animal sentience. For this purpose, I will first outline the general discussion about animal subjectivity and the tension between anthropomorphism and empirical adequacy. I introduce my own theoretical and methodological framework before presenting an analysis of Lorenz’ and Tinbergen’s methodological signatures. Thereby, I show how the question of terminology is deeply embedded in a network of epistemological, methodological and ontological concepts and establish key characteristics in regard to ethological approaches to animal subjectivity. Finally, I shed light on the possibility of using this typology to examine current frameworks of animal welfare research.

谈论动物行为的适当术语是什么？涉及精神或情绪状态的术语是拟人化的，因此应该被禁止还是它是提供充分描述的必要手段并应该被鼓励？这个问题在动物行为学作为一门科学学科的创始阶段就曾被激烈讨论过，现在仍然如此。这个多层次的问题可以通过使用 Köchy 等人开发的方法论签名的概念来掌握。(2016c)。它旨在通过检查动物研究的共同参数来分析和系统地比较动物研究方法。通过考察 Konrad Lorenz (1903–1989) 和 Nikolaas Tinbergen (1907–1988) 的作品，本文在方法论和理论层面提供了新的见解。在方法论上，说明了方法签名概念的应用；从理论上分析了经典行为学的原理。我的目的是通过分析有关动物感知的陈述来说明在行为学史上如何解决科学获取动物主观性的问题。为此，我将首先概述关于动物主体性以及拟人化与经验充分性之间的张力的一般性讨论。在分析 Lorenz 和 Tinbergen 的方法论特征之前，我先介绍我自己的理论和方法论框架。因此，我展示了术语问题如何深深植根于认识论、方法论和本体论概念的网络中，并建立了关于动物主体性的行为学方法的关键特征。最后，