We are conducting a series of studies which look at links
between attitudes to animals and attitudes to people. This started because
we thought there might be a link between empathy levels and attitudes to
animals. The data we have gathered so far (in a student population and in
a community sample) supports this. We therefore wanted to see if there was
anything significantly different within those working for animal
protection. The idea behind this is that if people who have favourable
attitudes to animals do have better levels of empathy (which seems to be
the case) then we can start to address how empathy levels in those with
problematic and/or violent behaviour towards both animals and humans can
be addressed. One of the potential ways is through humane education which
has been shown to increase empathy levels and has the added benefit of
informing people about animal welfare issues.
We therefore need members of the animal protection
community (in whatever capacity) to complete and return a very short
questionnaire. Please consider contributing to this project by emailing
[email protected] and requesting the questionnaire. We will then
send you a copy as an attachment which you can complete electronically and
return to the above email.
Additionally please feel free to forward this information
to anyone who works within animal protection who may also be interested in
taking part.
Participation in this research is voluntary, if at any
point you wish to withdraw from this research you may do so. If you
decide, after completing the questionnaire and submitting it that you no
longer want to have your answers included in the research please contact
the principal researchers and your questionnaire will be removed and
destroyed with no questions asked. The researchers may use the data
generated from the questionnaire to publish at least one refereed journal
article looking at relations between human empathy levels and attitudes
towards animals. If you do not feel comfortable with this you may withdraw
from the research.
Thank you for your time. Please return all completed
questionnaire by January 31st 2005.
If you have any queries please contact the project
researcher at the above email address or as below.
Project Researcher:
Nik Taylor
Lecturer in Sociology
Central Queensland University
Rockhampton
Queensland 4702
[email protected]
Go on to Job Opportunity
Return to 19 December 2004 Issue
Return to Newsletters
** Fair Use Notice**
This document may contain copyrighted material, use of which has not been
specifically authorized by the copyright owners. I believe that this
not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use of the
copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law). If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your
own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright
owner.
