Two studies were conducted to determine if chickens can associate an unpleasant experience with electrical stunning. In the first study, association between a discriminative cue and electrical shock or electrical stunning was examined. A motivational conflict experiment was set up using electrical stimulation as a potential negative reinforcement and food as reward to prompt avoidance and approach motivations, respectively, in the laying hens. Because the birds were not shackled, electricity was applied through clips to the cloaca and comb. However, other research has shown that the electrodes misplaced on the bird may not simulate stunning as it would occur in the processing plant. The second study used an electroencephalogram to record brain wave patterns in White Leghorn hens and a commercial strain of chickens following different sources of electrical stimulation. Index words: Chickens, Stunning, Aversion Conditioning, Electroencephalogram ANIMAL WELFARE AND POULTRY SLAUGHTER: DETERMINING IF CHICKENS CAN DEVELOP AN AVERSION TO ELECTRICAL STUNNING By JENNIFER CHAMIER MANOUS B.S.A., The University of Georgia, 2003 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF SCIENCE ATHENS, GEORGIA 2005