Children'S Attitudes About the Humane Treatment of Animals and Empathy: One-Year Follow up of a School-Based Intervention

Ascione, Frank R.; Weber, Claudia V.

doi:10.2752/089279396787001455

Cited by 123 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Previous literature suggests that females in general show greater empathy toward animals (Taylor and Signal 2005;Phillips et al 2011), show more positive attitudes toward animals (Ascione and Weber 1996;Kruse 1999;Mariti et al 2011), and are more willing to attribute secondary (complex) emotions to animals (Walker et al 2014b) than males. Conversely, the results of this research suggest that when respondents are attributing emotions to their own companion animals, men and women do not differ in the frequency or complexity of emotions attributed.…”

Section: The Influence Of Owner Demographicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Emotional Lives of Companion Animals: Attachment and Subjective Claims by Owners of Cats and Dogs

2016

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There is a growing body of scientific evidence supporting the existence of emotions in nonhuman animals. Companion-animal owners show a strong connection and attachment to their animals and readily assign emotions to them. In this paper we present information on how the attachment level of companion-animal owners correlates with their attribution of emotions to their companion cat or dog and their attribution of mirrored emotions. The results of an online questionnaire, completed by 1,023 Dutch-speaking cat and/or dog owners (mainly in the Netherlands and Belgium), suggest that owners attribute several emotions to their pets. Respondents attributed all posited basic (anger, joy [happiness], fear, surprise, disgust, and sadness) and complex (shame, jealousy, disappointment, and compassion) emotions to their companion animals, with a general trend toward basic emotions (with the exception of sadness) being more commonly attributed than complex emotions. All pet owners showed strong attachment to their companion animal(s), with the degree of attachment (of both cat and dog owners) varying significantly with education level and gender. Owners who ascribed human characteristics to their dog or cat also scored higher on the Pet Bonding Scale (PBS). Finally, owners who found it pleasant to pet their dog or cat had a higher average PBS score than those who did not like to do so. The relationship between owners' attributions of mirrored emotions and the degree of attachment to dogs was significant for all emotions, whilst for cats this relationship was significant only for joy, sadness, surprise, shame, disappointment, and compassion.

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Section: The Influence Of Owner Demographicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Emotional Lives of Companion Animals: Attachment and Subjective Claims by Owners of Cats and Dogs

2016

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“…Empathy with animals, such as the ability to perceive their needs, seems to have a transfer effect to empathy with people (Ascione, 1992), and is therefore a basis for the development of social intelligence (Kidd and Kidd, 1987). Children who own companion animals tend to score higher on an empathy scale than children who do not (Bryant, 1986;Melson and Fogel, 1989;Ascione and Weber, 1996;Paul, 2000). Hergovich et al (2002) also found an increase in empathy that may be the result of the presence of a companion animal, but lasting effects have not been consistently examined.…”

Section: Social Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hergovich et al (2002) also found an increase in empathy that may be the result of the presence of a companion animal, but lasting effects have not been consistently examined. One study (Ascione and Weber, 1996) found that humane attitudes persisted at the time of a post-test conducted at Year Two follow-up but it did not specifically address empathy. Research has shown that children who have a positive attitude towards companion animals are more empathic than those who have a negative, or less positive, attitude (Daly and Morton, 2006).…”

Section: Social Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of animals on the development of children

Endenburg

Lith

2011

The Veterinary Journal

111

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a b s t r a c tThere is a widespread belief that interaction with an animal is beneficial for the development of children, and several studies (most with methodological shortcomings) have investigated the influence of (companion) animals on the social-emotional and cognitive development of children. In this article, the 1984 model of Professor Jay Belsky has been used to describe which variables influence the development of children and how the companion animal-child interaction influences these variables. The value of the AAA/AAT (Animal Assisted Activities/Animal Assisted Therapy) programmes in children with a wide variety of clinical and social problems, such as behaviour problems and autistic spectrum symptoms, is discussed. The findings suggest that (companion) animals positively influence children's development and have a valuable role in therapy.

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“…It contains statements that a child can strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree. The reported coefficient alpha is .70, and the validity has been demonstrated (Ascione & Weber, 1996). Since the original Intermediate Attitude Scale does not contain a neutral opinion selection, "undecided" was added in this study.…”

Section: Bryant Index Of Empathy For Children and Adolescents (Bryantmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Numerous studies have suggested that animals may be able to enhance children's humane attitudes and empathic development, as well as abilities that relate to empathic development (Ascione, 1992(Ascione, , 2005Ascione & Weber, 1996;George, 1999;Levinson, 1972Levinson, , 1978Paul & Serpell, 1993;Thompson & Gullone, 2003 ). The positive influence of animals on empathic development and humane attitudes was also supported by Paul (2000), who concluded that there is "significant correlations between level and intensity of childhood pet relationships, concerns for the welfare of animals and empathy with humans" (p. 174).…”

Section: Animal and Children's Development Of Empathy And Humane Attimentioning

confidence: 99%

The Socioemotional Effects of a Computer-Simulated Animal on Children's Empathy and Humane Attitudes

Tsai

Kaufman

2009

Journal of Educational Computing Research

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This study investigated the potential of using a computer-simulated animal in a handheld virtual pet videogame to improve children's empathy and humane attitudes. Also investigated was whether sex differences existed in children's development of empathy and humane attitudes resulting from play, as well as their feelings for a virtual pet. The results showed that after playing Nintendogs for 3 weeks, the participants of both sexes, on average, scored higher levels of empathy on the Bryant Empathy Index, and had higher levels of humane attitudes on the Intermediate Attitude Scale, compared to their pretest scores before they played. A statistical association also was revealed between time playing with a computer-simulated animal and improved scores in empathy and humane attitudes toward animals. The findings also showed that participants tended to form emotional attachments with their virtual pet and considered it a real pet.

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Children'S Attitudes About the Humane Treatment of Animals and Empathy: One-Year Follow up of a School-Based Intervention

Cited by 123 publications

References 4 publications

The Emotional Lives of Companion Animals: Attachment and Subjective Claims by Owners of Cats and Dogs

The Emotional Lives of Companion Animals: Attachment and Subjective Claims by Owners of Cats and Dogs

The influence of animals on the development of children

The Socioemotional Effects of a Computer-Simulated Animal on Children's Empathy and Humane Attitudes

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