Attitudes Toward Animals: Origins and Diversity

Abstract

It would be difficult to overestimate the significance of animals in the social and psychological life of our species. Images of animals are everywhere: in our language, religions, dreams, television programs, and folklore. The feelings that we exhibit toward our fellow creatures are intense, complex, and paradoxical. Responses to animals range from the disgust we feel when confronted with a bloated tick to the reverence for animals as deities in so-called primitive cultures; from the love of a child for a pet bunny to the paralyzing fear of phobic experiences when confronted by a harmless spider.

In recent years there has been increasing interest in human-animal relationships by investigators from a variety of disciplines. We will not attempt a synthesis of the growing literature on attitudes toward animals, but will follow a different course. For the past decade we have been exploring the diversity and origins of human-animal relationships, and our research has taken us into some rather odd places: cockfights in the United States and Latin America, slaughterhouses, and most recently, the world of supermarket check-out-counter magazines. In this article, we will summarize some of our findings and speculations that bear on the subject of attitudes toward animals. We will also briefly examine alternative methods of gathering information that do justice to the richness of human experience with animals.     

Sterilization of Companion Animals: Exploring the Attitudes and Behaviors of Latino Students in South Texas

A sample of 131 Latino students attending a university in south Texas near the United States–Mexico border completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding their companion animals (pets). Compared with dog caregivers (owners) (n = 106), cat caregivers (n = 25) were significantly more likely to favor early spay/neuter of pets and to report that the primary benefit received from their own pet was relational (for example, companionship) rather than functional (for example, sense of safety). The rate of sterilization was significantly higher for cats (60%) than for dogs (26.4%). Sterilization rates were significantly higher for cats whose owners favored early spay/neuter and had accurate knowledge about sterilization of female cats and dogs. Sterilization rates were significantly higher for dogs whose owners had a veterinarian, favored early spay/neuter, and valued relational benefits of guardianship more than functional benefits. Approximately 41% of owners whose pets were not sterilized reported that they wanted puppies or kittens, and 25% reported that the cost of the procedure was the primary barrier. Sterilization programs must include both education about the benefits of sterilization and low-cost spay/neuter services.     

Attitudes toward Animals among Kindergarten Children: Species Preferences

ABSTRACT

Attitudes toward animals are influenced by both animal traits (e.g., similarity to humans, aesthetic quality, size) and individual human attributes (e.g., gender, age, educational level, cultural factors). Although the examination of children's interest in animals, and their preference for different species, may evidence specific trends and help explain the development of attitudes, the vast majority of research has not considered children younger than 6 years. The present study was aimed at assessing preferences for a variety of animal species in a sample of 3–6 year-old Italian children, using a forced-choice task and visual aids (images of the animals). Pictures of 48 animal species, ranging from mammals to invertebrates, were presented to the children. Two photographic stimuli were simultaneously displayed and participants were asked to indicate their preference. Results show that the children preferred higher-order species, and domestic over wild animals. Apart from a few exceptions, invertebrates were the most disliked group of species among the children. Girls showed more negative and fear-related attitudes than the boys. Results are discussed taking into account different factors that may affect children's preferences for various animal species, that is, similarity to humans and aesthetical appeal. Greater knowledge on early attitudes toward animals has implications for promoting interest in animals and for building educational interventions for kindergarten children. This is particularly important in light of the growing use of different animals in educational and therapeutic contexts, as well as from an animal welfare perspective.     

Attitudes toward Animals among German Children and Adolescents

ABSTRACT

This is the first study about attitudes toward animals among German children and adolescents. A sample of 543 pupils (261 boys, 282 girls) aged 11 to 17 (mean age = 13.37 ± 2.01 years) completed a questionnaire based on different established scales, for example, the Animal Attitude Scale (AAS) and the Intermediate Attitude Scale (IAS). Several aspects of attitudes toward animals and various dimensions of human–animal relationships were measured, including gender, age, grade, pet ownership, animal-related activities, meat consumption, and fear of and disgust toward animals. Gender and age were important factors in determining attitudes toward animals: pro-animal attitudes decreased with age and girls showed more positive attitudes compared with boys. Pet ownership and animal-related activities were associated with more positive attitudes toward animals, whilst meat consumption was related to lower pro-animal attitudes. There were no correlations between fear and general attitudes toward animals. The correlations between disgust and attitudes toward animals were weak. We found significant correlations among the different scales and subscales in animal attitudes.     

实验动物与兽用生物制品检验和研发

在兽用生物制品的质量检验和研发中,实验动物的应用极其普遍.其应用的历史悠久、使用面广,涉及的动物种类多、数量大.本文对应用动物进行兽用生物制品检验和研发中存在的问题进行了分析,并提出了建立大动物基地、保证供应,完善标准、保证质量,更新观念、完善法规、减少动物用量,加强管理、确保生物安全等方面的建议.     

大学生口腔保健知识态度行为调查与研究

目的:评价大学生口腔保健知识、态度、行为情况,为实施口腔健康指导计划提供基线资料。方法:采用随机抽样的方法,对314名青岛大学新生进行了口腔保健知识、态度、行为的问卷调查;其中男生151名,占总数的48%,女生163名,占总数的52%。结果:大学生对龋病知识的知晓率高,但牙周知识及牙周状况差。大学生认为定时拜访牙医有助于口腔疾病预防,口腔健康与全身健康密切相关,但约一半学生害怕就医或推迟就医。只有55.7%的大学生一天刷牙两次,25.5%的大学生没有接受过专业刷牙指导。在口腔保健知识、态度及行为方面,女生优于男生。结论:大学生缺乏牙周方面基础口腔保健知识,缺少专业的口腔卫生指导。结构合理的口腔健康教育系统亟需实施。     

Public Attitudes toward the Use of Animals in Research: Effects of Invasiveness,Genetic Modification and Regulation

ABSTRACT

This study describes an online public engagement experiment aimed at investigating how acceptance of animal-based research is affected by: (a) the presence of regulations that govern the use of nonhuman animals in laboratories, (b) the invasiveness of procedures, and (c) the use of genetically modified (GM) animals. To meet these aims, participants were asked if they were willing to accept the use of pigs in different scenarios involving agricultural research. Two-thirds of the 681 participants were female and the majority (58%) were young (19–29 years old) with college or university level education (62%). Participants came from 26 different countries, with the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom being the top three countries represented. Participants who self-identified as being vegetarians, familiar with animal welfare, animal advocates, environmental advocates, and familiar with animal research were significantly more likely to be opposed to animal-based research. Older participants were significantly less likely to oppose animal-based research. Support significantly decreased when animal-based research involved an invasive procedure or GM animals. Support for invasive research significantly increased when regulation was in place, but regulation had less effect on acceptance of GM animal use. Comments provided by participants illustrated different decision-making strategies regarding different types of animal-based research. Given the increasing use of GM animals in research, more effort is required to understand people's concerns regarding this type of animal use and to determine how these concerns should be reflected in policy.     

Dissatisfaction with Veterinary Services Is Associated with Leopard (Panthera pardus) Predation on Domestic Animals

Human-carnivore conflicts challenge biodiversity conservation and local livelihoods, but the role of diseases of domestic animals in their predation by carnivores is poorly understood. We conducted a human-leopard (Panthera pardus) conflict study throughout all 34 villages around Golestan National Park, Iran in order to find the most important conflict determinants and to use them in predicting the probabilities of conflict and killing of cattle, sheep and goats, and dogs. We found that the more villagers were dissatisfied with veterinary services, the more likely they were to lose livestock and dogs to leopard predation. Dissatisfaction occurred when vaccination crews failed to visit villages at all or, in most cases, arrived too late to prevent diseases from spreading. We suggest that increased morbidity of livestock makes them particularly vulnerable to leopard attacks. Moreover, conflicts and dog killing were higher in villages located closer to the boundaries of the protected area than in distant villages. Therefore, we appeal for improved enforcement and coordination of veterinary services in our study area, and propose several priority research topics such as veterinarian studies, role of wild prey in diseases of domestic animals, and further analysis of potential conflict predictors.