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Factors influencing human attitudes to animals and their welfare

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

JA Serpell
JA Serpell*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
*
serpell@vet.upenn.edu
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Abstract

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This paper reviews the literature on human attitudes to animals, and postulates the existence of two primary motivational determinants of attitudes labelled ‘affect’ and ‘utility’. It also proposes that the relative strengths of these key attitude dimensions are affected by various modifying variables including the specific attributes of the animal, the individual characteristics and experience of the person evaluating the animal, and a range of cultural factors. The role of science as a cultural modifier of human attitudes to animals is also discussed.

Keywords

animal welfareattitude psychologyattitude surveysattitudes to animalsethicsscientific values
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 13 , Issue S1: Science in the Service of Animal Welfare: Proceedings of the UFAW International Symposium, Edinburgh, 2-4 April 2003 , February 2004 , pp. S145 - S151
Copyright
© 2004 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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