Humane Education

Attitude to Animals and Empathy: Comparing Animal Protection and General Community Samples

anthrozoology — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:35:32 -0400

Signal, Tania D.; Taylor, Nicola

Anthrozoos:20, 2, June 2007 , pp. 125-130(6)

Although a number of studies have examined a range of demographic and personality variables that may impact upon attitudes towards the treatment of non-human species, little consensus has been reached within the literature. The aim of the current study was to evaluate and assess levels of human-directed empathy and attitudes towards the treatment of animals in two diverse populations, namely the general community (n = 543) and those within the animal protection field (n = 389). Both groups of participants completed the Attitude Towards the Treatment of Animals Scale (AAS) and the Davis Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), a measure of human-directed empathy. Comparisons between the two samples indicated that those within the animal protection community scored more highly on both the animal attitude and human-directed empathy measures. Correlational analyses revealed a positive relation between AAS and IRI scores for both samples, whilst the strength of the correlation was greater for those within the animal protection sample. These findings are discussed.

Children's Attitudes About The Humane Treatment Of Animals And Empathy: One-Year Follow Up Of A School-Based Intervention

anthrozoology — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 19:26:36 -0500

Frank R. Ascione, Ph.D. and Claudia V Weber, M.S.

ABSTRACT
This study assessed the maintenance of the effect of a year-long school-based humane education program on fourth grade children's attitudes toward animals. Generalization to human-directed empathy was also measured. Using a pretestposttest (Year 1) follow-up (Year 2) design and ANCOVA, we found that the experimental group (children who experienced the program) humane attitudes mean was greater than the control group mean at initial posttesting and at the Year 2 follow up. At both Year 1 and Year 2 posttesting, the enhancement of attitudes toward animals generalized to human-directed empathy, especially when the quality of the children's relations with their pets was considered as a couariate.

The results contribute to the growing literature on the significance of the relations between children and animals, and serve to encourage humane education efforts.

Childhood origins of supernurturance: the social context of early humane behaviour.

anthrozoology — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 19:23:49 -0500

Arluke, A.

Anthrozoos. 2003. 16: 1, 3-27.

The present study examined how strong humane inclinations in children are shaped and encouraged through interactions with human and non-human animals. Ethnographic interviews were conducted with 30 supernurturing children and 30 parents attending a pre-veterinary summer camp operated by an American university. Themes associated with supernurturance included validating the importance of animals, teaching nurturance, identifying as an animal person, seeing animals as helpers, and assuming responsibility. Results suggest that a single magic bullet cannot be tweaked to instill or heighten compassion for animals. Rather, an array of social psychological factors together contribute to animal supernurturing by children.

Behavioral effects of the presence of a dog in a classroom

anthrozoology — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 02:02:13 -0400

Kotrschal, K., and B. Ortbauer

Anthrozoos, v. 16, p. 147-159. 2003

To test the idea that dogs have a positive influence on the social behavior of school children, one of three dogs was introduced alternately into a class at an elementary school in Vienna (Austria)attended by 24 children. Most of the 14 boys and ten girls came from first-generation immigrant families. With parental consent, their behavior was videotaped for two hours every week, during "open teaching situations," first during a one-month control period in the absence of dogs, followed by an experimental period of similar duration, when a dog was present in the classroom. Frequency and duration of all observable behaviors of individuals and their interactions were coded from these tapes. Although major individual differences were found in the children's interest in the dog and their behavioral responses, the group became socially more homogenous due to decreased behavioral extremes, such as aggressiveness and hyperactivity. Also, formerly withdrawn individuals became socially more integrated. Effects were more pronounced among the boys. It is concluded that the presence of a dog in a classroom could positively stimulate social cohesion in children and provide a relatively cheap and easy means of improving teaching conditions.