Chinese College Students’ Attitudes towards Animal Welfare

Platto, Sara; Serres, Agathe; Jingyi, Ai

doi:10.3390/ani12020156

Cited by 14 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 81 publications

(135 reference statements)

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“…The recent COVID-19 pandemic has affected public attitudes toward the human–animal relationship and triggered Chinese reflection on animal welfare and protection (Chen et al, 2021 ; Platto et al, 2022 ). The impact of animal health on human health and the relationships between animal welfare and animal health are attracting increasing attention and generating more discussion across society (Gu et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare

Jiang

Tang²,

Cui³

et al. 2023

Front. Psychol.

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A comprehensive understanding of current Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare and the relevant influencing factors is essential for improving farm animal welfare and promoting further development of animal husbandry. The attitudes of 3,726 respondents in China were investigated using paper and online questionnaires. Three components (affective, cognitive, and behavioral) of attitudes toward farm animal welfare were assessed using 18 items designed based on the literature review. Influential factors of attitudes toward farm animal welfare were explored via tobit regression. The results revealed that the Chinese public not only considers farm animals to be emotional and sentient but are also sympathetic toward farm animals that suffer inhumane treatment. Although they have limited knowledge about farm animal welfare, the public believes improving farm animal welfare is beneficial, especially for food safety and human health. The Chinese public prefers regulation policies to incentive policies for improving farm animal welfare. The main factors influencing attitudes toward farm animal welfare included gender, age, education, monthly household income, area of residence, farm animal raising experience, and attention to farm animal welfare events. The effect of these influencing factors on attitudes varied. These findings provide a basis for improving Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare. The implications of formulating and implementing effective policies to improve the Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare were discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare

Jiang

Tang²,

Cui³

et al. 2023

Front. Psychol.

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show abstract

“…In general, the youngest respondents demonstrated more pro-welfare attitudes than older age groups, although the differences were largely between those in their late 20s and those in their early 50s. In 2018, the Chinese government introduced non-mandatory animal welfare classes to be delivered in high schools [ 36 , 37 ]. This move aligns with the views of respondents in all age groups from this survey, who were in favour of animal care being taught in schools, although the oldest age group actually demonstrated more support than the youngest group.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender and Age Effects on Public Attitudes to, and Knowledge of, Animal Welfare in China

Carnovale

Xiao

Shi

et al. 2022

Animals

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A person’s gender and age can influence their attitudes towards animal welfare, with more benign attitudes generally ascribed to women. Given that attitudes influence consumer behaviour and the rapid recent social development in China (globally the biggest livestock producer), we surveyed over 1300 individuals across China to elucidate the role of gender and age in determining attitudes towards animals. Respondents self-identified their gender as male, female, other or not revealed. There were interactions between age and gender for many of the survey items, demonstrating that the effects of gender were dependent on the respondents’ age. Women aged 18–24 reported more benign attitudes towards animals than older men (aged between 25 and 54 years, depending on the survey question) and more empathetic responses were found in young respondents generally, although this did not necessarily translate into a willingness to pay more for higher-welfare animal products. We propose, drawing on Social Identity Theory, that women see animals as part of their social group, whereas men tend not to do this. Those responding as neither male nor female, i.e., as another gender, and those not revealing their gender appeared to have different relationships to animals than those responding as men or women. It is concluded that within Chinese culture, attitudes towards animals and their welfare are complex and influenced by an interaction between gender and age.

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“…On the other hand, the increasing competition pressure is also shaping the younger generations in China, widening the generation gap [ 41 ]. A survey of Chinese college students showed that the majority recognize animal sentience [ 42 ], with stronger recognition in rural areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of Farm Animal Sentience and Suffering: Evidence from the BRIC Countries and the United States

Mata

Jaeger

Domingues

2022

Animals

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In this study, we examined how beliefs about farm animal sentience and their suffering vary across culture and demographic characteristics. A total of N = 5027) questionnaires were administered in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and the USA. Brazilians showed higher and Chinese lower levels of perceived animal sentience. In Russia and India, the perception of suffering and sentience increases with age, with similar levels to those observed in the USA. In all the countries, more people agreed than disagreed that animals are sentient. Men in India show higher levels of agreement with the relation between eating meat and animal suffering, followed by women in Brazil and China. Lower levels of agreement are observed in Americans and Chinese. Women show higher levels of compassion than men. In Russia, there is a slightly higher level of agreement between men and in the USA younger men agree more. Young American men show higher levels of agreement, while in India and China age has the opposite effect. For fair trading competition, it is important to standardize procedures and respect the demand for both animal protein and its ethical production. Overall, our results showed that perceptions of farm animal sentience and suffering vary substantially across countries and demographic groups. These differences could have important consequences for the perceived ethicality of meat production and consumption, and for global trade in animal products.

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Chinese College Students’ Attitudes towards Animal Welfare

Cited by 14 publications

References 81 publications

Factors influencing Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare

Factors influencing Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare

Gender and Age Effects on Public Attitudes to, and Knowledge of, Animal Welfare in China

Perceptions of Farm Animal Sentience and Suffering: Evidence from the BRIC Countries and the United States

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