Pet Behaviour Science. N. 09 (2020)
http://hdl.handle.net/10396/19971
2024-03-29T00:26:23ZThe human response to pet rescue TV commercials
http://hdl.handle.net/10396/19976
The human response to pet rescue TV commercials
Mueller, Thomas; Wingrove, Twila; Murray, Sidney
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 6.5 million abandoned pets are housed in shelters in the United States. Of those who are sheltered 670,000 dogs are euthanized. An opportunity exists to reduce the number of euthanized animals, primarily through adoption. Several benefactors to this animal rescue initiative have prompted pet rescue adoption through television commercials. This study explored the perception of viewer“attitude toward the ad”and“intent to adopt” for a pet rescue television commercial. Study respondents (N=335) watched “Somebody to Love” a commercial featuring a lonely man and his emotional attachment with an abandoned dog. Gender identity was significantly related to attitudes toward the commercial. Participants identifying themselves as feminine held more favorable attitudes towards the commercial, whereas participants identifying as more masculine reported less favorable attitudes towards the commercial. Work status and ethnicity were also significant predictors of attitude toward the ad. Non-workers were more highly responsive to the commercial, than were students or those in working capacity. Participants identifying as any ethnicity other than white held less favorable attitudes towards the commercial, which features white actors. This implies it is important to examine commercial content regarding plot and context, as the viewer response is affected by gender, ethnicity and employment status. Producers of future animal rescue commercials should consider content specific to alternate human identities, where rescue animals can facilitate a common compassion among potentially discordant identity groups.
2020-01-01T00:00:00ZDomestic cats’ reactions to their owner and an unknown individual petting a potential rival
http://hdl.handle.net/10396/19975
Domestic cats’ reactions to their owner and an unknown individual petting a potential rival
Buchera, Benoit; Arahoria, Minori; Chijiiwaa, Hitomi; Takagia, Saho; Fujitaa, Kazuo
Jealousy is a second-order emotion, its main function being to protect a valued relationship from a rival. A basic form of jealousy has been described in human infants, and its presence in non-human animals has recently been investigated in domestic dogs. The current study assessed whether a primitive form of jealousy can be observed in domestic cats tested using similar procedures to those used with infants and dogs. Fifty-two cats were recruited from either Japanese households or cat cafés. The cats’behaviors were recorded while they saw their owner petting a“social” object (i.e. potential rival: a realistic-looking soft-toy cat) and a non-social object (furry cushion). As jealousy should be expressed in the context of a valued relationship, cat behaviors were also recorded when an unknown experimenter petted the same two objects. Results indicated that cats -- especially household pets -- reacted more intensely toward the soft-toy cat previously petted by their owner. However, cats did not respond differentially toward the two human actors. The absence of other behaviors indicative of jealousy reported in infants and dogs precludes drawing firm conclusions about the existence of jealousy in domestic cats. We consider the existence of some cognitive bases for jealousy to emerge in cats, and the potential effect of cats’living environment on the nature of their attachment to their owner. More ecologically valid procedures are required for further study of these issues.
2020-01-01T00:00:00ZThe human side of animal experimentation: A qualitative, exploratory study into workrelated stress and coping in animal experimenters
http://hdl.handle.net/10396/19974
The human side of animal experimentation: A qualitative, exploratory study into workrelated stress and coping in animal experimenters
Glenk, Lisa Maria; Belik, Cornelia; Palme, Rupert; Aigner, Andreas; Jensen-Jarolim, Erika
Besides the pervasive controversy of animal experimentation in society, ethics and science, the human experimenter side of laboratory animal studies is a relatively underrepresented topic in human-animal interaction research. Few studies have addressed scientists’ stress responses to animal experiments. The main aim of this study was to assess work-related stress by means of salivary cortisol secretion, coping strategies, self-esteem, pet attitude and personality traits in academic researchers who regularly perform invasive animal experiments. Invitation to participate in the study resulted in a response rate of 15.4% of 65 invited scientists, of which only four (6.15%) completed data collection. Study participants carried out saliva sampling on working days with and without animal experiments, completed a semi-structured qualitative interview and psychological questionnaires. Salivary cortisol (SC) was measured via enzyme immunoassay. The results indicate that animal experimenters used problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies. Three participants reached above average values in self-esteem. Pet attitudes scores were moderately positive. Three out of four animal experimenters reached high scores on the personality dimensions "openness to experience", "agreeableness" and "conscientiousness". In the absence of an acute increase in SC related to animal experimentation, two out of four participants exhibited an altered circadian pattern of SC secretion only on working days with animal experiments. Although and as a matter of fact because only four of 65 invited scientists volunteered to participate, we discussed the seemingly low willingness of researchers to participate in such a study based on a theoretical analysis, particularly highlighting the concept of deindividuation and provide suggestions for future research.
2020-01-01T00:00:00Z