The Development of Speciesism: Age-Related Differences in the Moral View of Animals

McGuire, Luke; Palmer, Sally B.; Faber, Nadira S.

doi:10.1177/19485506221086182

Cited by 19 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…This invites the possibility of each individual possessing (or at least expressing) a “net capacity” for moral concern: Increasing concern for some entities comes at the cost of concern for others. Our findings align with recent research showing that children and adults value human and nonhuman animal life differently (McGuire et al, 2022; Wilks et al, 2021) but that children’s preferences become more “adult-like” with age (Neldner et al, 2018). Importantly, we do not identify these human-centric shifts in children’s ratings for liking or knowing (e.g., liking and knowing remains relatively low for vulnerable entities at all ages, while liking for animals remains high across age groups).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…However, certain moral considerations show distinct developmental shifts in childhood. As children age, they are more likely to prioritize vulnerable members of society, moving them into their inner circles of concern, and display a stronger tendency to prioritize humans over animals (McGuire et al, 2022; Neldner et al, 2018; Wilks et al, 2021). These shifts appear to occur alongside increasing capacities for perspective taking and empathic concern in middle childhood (between 7 and 11 years; Eisenberg et al, 1983, 1987; Helwig et al, 2001) and a growing awareness of inclusive social norms toward distal and vulnerable social groups (such as people with disabilities or chronic illnesses; Gasser et al, 2014; Nucci et al, 2017; Yoo & Smetana, 2019).…”

Section: The Moral Circlementioning

confidence: 99%

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I may not like you, but I still care: Children differentiate moral concern from other constructs.

Neldner¹,

Wilks²,

Crimston³

et al. 2023

Developmental Psychology

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In industrialized societies, adults exhibit stable preferences for the types of people, animals, and entities they feel moral concern for (Crimston et al., 2016). Only one published study to date has utilized the moral circles paradigm to examine these preferences in children, finding that as children age, their preferences shift to become more similar to adults' (Neldner et al., 2018). However, it is currently unclear whether children's conceptualization of moral concern differs from that of other related social constructs. The aim of the current study was twofold: first, to test the moral circles paradigm in a new sample of children to see whether published patterns of moral concern could be replicated and, second, to investigate whether children distinguish moral concern from the related constructs of liking and familiarity. Australian children aged 4 to 10 years old (N = 281; 143 boys, 138 girls; predominantly middle class) placed 24 pictures of human, animal, and environmental entities on a stratified circle according to how much they cared, liked, or knew about the targets. We found similar patterns of moral prioritization to previous research (Neldner et al., 2018), replicating both stable preferences and age-related changes in children's moral concern for others. Crucially, we extend these findings by showing that children distinguish how much they care about entities from their levels of liking and knowing about them. This suggests children differentiate between moral concern and other social constructs early in development and display distinct patterns of prioritization when evaluating everyday entities according to these judgments. Public Significance StatementThis study reveals that young children distinguish how much they care about a range of societal entities from how much they know or like about them. These findings suggest children differentiate between moral concern and other social constructs early in development and display distinct developmental patterns of prioritization when evaluating everyday entities according to such judgments.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: The Moral Circlementioning

confidence: 99%

I may not like you, but I still care: Children differentiate moral concern from other constructs.

Neldner¹,

Wilks²,

Crimston³

et al. 2023

Developmental Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As such, animals can belong to different domains due to their perceived use by humans. Our findings also correlate with those of McGuire, Palmer, and Faber [ 57 ], who found that children (9–11 years old) will more often categorize farm animals as pets than food and find it less morally acceptable to eat meat and animal products compared to young adults and adults.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

11- to 13-Year-Old Children’s Rejection and Acceptance of Unfamiliar Food: The Role of Food Play and Animalness

Højer

Aaslyng

2023

Nutrients

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Promoting children’s healthy food behavior is important in reducing the risk of developing obesity; it is therefore relevant to investigate methods to promote healthy food choices. This study’s aim was to investigate differences in rejection–acceptance mechanisms related to unfamiliar foods depending on the inclusion of tactile exercises prior to cooking and food origin. Participant observation was applied in a school setting. Eight fifth and sixth grade classes were recruited from four Danish schools (n = 129). The classes were divided into two groups: animal (AG; quail) and nonanimal (NAG; bladderwrack). AG and NAG were subdivided into two groups: food print (FP) and no food print (NFP). Applied thematic analysis was applied. During preparation/cooking, NFP displayed disgust-related rejection, whereas FP displayed inappropriateness-related rejection. FP exhibited more playful behavior. Inappropriateness and animalness drove AG rejection. NAG rejection was driven by the slimy texture of the food and the perception of it ‘not being food’. Acceptance was driven by taste and familiarity. In conclusion, the inclusion of tactile exercises could increase children’s exploratory food behavior, and the promotion of children’s healthy food behavior should not solely focus on choosing foods deemed safe and familiar, since, despite rejection during cooking, acceptance is ultimately possible.

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“…anthropogenic suffering; human and animal exploitation). These results are consistent with previous findings on the growing consumer awareness about the environmental impacts of the livestock industry (Hopwood et al, 2021;Krizanova et al, 2021;Sanchez-Sabate et al, 2019), as well as the impact that factory farms have on the animals who are used for human consumption (Hartmann and Siegrist, 2020;Mathur et al, 2021;McGuire et al, 2022;Rosenfeld, 2019). Sustainable and ethical consumption orientations have been identified as enablers of increased plant-based eating (Bryant, 2019;Hopwood et al, 2021;Graça et al, 2019).…”

Section: Levering Orientations Towards Sustainable Consumptionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…, 2019), as well as the impact that factory farms have on the animals who are used for human consumption (Hartmann and Siegrist, 2020; Mathur et al. , 2021; McGuire et al. , 2022; Rosenfeld, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enabling sustainable food transitions in schools: a systemic approach

Graça

Roque

Guedes

et al. 2022

BFJ

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PurposeRecent reviews and reports have highlighted the need for integrated, context-specific efforts to enable sustainable food transitions. This study aimed to identify pathways to promote healthier and more environmentally friendly food practices in school contexts, with a focus on increased plant-based eating.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a systemic approach with data collected from relevant stakeholders in an EU country (Portugal) at diverse levels of influence in the school meals system (i.e. proximal, intermediate, distal; from end-consumers to food providers, market actors, civil society organizations, and policy and decision-makers). Data from individual interviews (N = 33) were subjected to thematic analysis.FindingsMeat-centric cultural perceptions of a ‘proper meal’ can be a socio-emotional barrier for sustainable food transitions in schools. Main pathways identified to unlock these transitions included: (1) Levering orientations toward ethical and environmentally beneficial consumption; (2) Improving and increasing the offer of plant-based meals; and (3) Mobilizing local communities and society.Originality/valueThe current findings suggest that promoting healthier and more environmentally friendly food practices in schools requires systemic, integrated approaches which focus on food consumption, food provision, and the broader political and sociocultural environment.

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The Development of Speciesism: Age-Related Differences in the Moral View of Animals

Cited by 19 publications

References 35 publications

I may not like you, but I still care: Children differentiate moral concern from other constructs.

I may not like you, but I still care: Children differentiate moral concern from other constructs.

11- to 13-Year-Old Children’s Rejection and Acceptance of Unfamiliar Food: The Role of Food Play and Animalness

Enabling sustainable food transitions in schools: a systemic approach

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