New Perspectives on Human-Animal Interactions Theory, Policy, and Research

by Knight, Sarah; Herzog, Harold; Hoyle, Rick H.

• ISBN13: 9781444333060
• ISBN10: 1444333062
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-09-01
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Animals are important in human psychological and cultural life, and our relationships with other species are psychological and morally complicated. This special issue presents a series of original research articles concerning attitudes towards animals, the ethics of their treatment, the effects of companion animals on human health and psychological well-being, and the role that culture plays in our interactions with other species. The articles illustrate the scope of the new field of human-animal relationships, the variety of research approaches, and the implications of research findings for social policy.

Author Biography

Sarah Knight is Senior Social Psychologist for the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Portsmouth, UK), an agency of the Ministry of Defense. She was awarded full-time bursaries from the Economic Social Research Council for her PhD project and a one year Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to study the inter-relationship between attitudes, beliefs and behavior. She has published research on attitudes toward animal use and the benefits of dog ownership in retired populations.

 

Harold Herzog is Professor of Psychology at Western Carolina University. His research includes studies of attitudes towards other species, the psychology of animal activism, and moral decision-making.

Table of Contents

Introduction

All Creatures Great and Small: New Perspectives on Psychology and Human-Animal Interactions

Factors Underlying Opinions and The Treatment of Animals

Science versus Human Welfare? Understanding Attitudes toward Animal Use

Moral Emotions and Social Activism: The Case of Animal Rights

Ethics and Animal Consciousness: How Rubber the Ethical Ruler?

Effects of Animals on Human Health, Well-Being, and Social Interactions

The Effects of Animals on Human Health and Well-Being

Robotic Pets in Human Lives: Implications for the Human-Animal Bond and for Human Relationships with Personified Technologies

Animals in Society: Research, Policy, and Practice

People and Animals, Kindness and Cruelty: Research Directions and Policy Implications

Animal Abuse as a Sentinel for Human Violence: A Critique

Good to Pet and Eat: The Keeping and Consuming of Dogs and Cats in South Korea

Commentary

Having Our Dogs and Eating Them Too: Why Animals Are a Social Issue

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