Where knowledge and science meet ethics and compassion

Research Nutshell

Empathy and Attitudes

A study published in the Society & Animals journal looked at the role of empathy in attitudes toward animal cruelty.

Study Summary

Recognizing that "Knowledge of the factors influencing attitudes toward animals has implications for prevention and intervention in cases of cruelty," researchers from Hofstra University and New York University examined how empathy and personality traits of 241 undergraduate students aged 18-46 affected their attitudes toward animals. Based on a series of personality and attitudes tests, the results indicated that those with high levels of empathy held more positive attitudes toward animals and more negative beliefs about animal cruelty than those with low levels of empathy. Women in general displayed more empathy than men, and participants of both genders who had companion animals were more sensitive to the mistreatment of animals.

Policy Implications

The present study offers further evidence that empathy is a critical variable in both the understanding and treatment of animal abuse. Previous studies have shown high empathy among animal activists and low empathy in individuals who abuse animals. Here, using a general population (non-clinical and non-advocate) sample, the authors find that empathy (as distinguished from four other major personality variables) correlates with positive attitudes toward animals.

Buttressed by the recent finding of mirror neurons in humans and other animals, a physiological substrate for the ability to experience empathy, it is now clear that early teaching of the skill of empathy is an important socializing tool to reduce animal abuse and co-occurring violence toward humans. AniCare Child, developed by the Animals and Society Institute as a treatment approach for the behavior of animal abuse, assesses level of empathy and provides an extended series of exercises to teach it.

- Ken Shapiro
Jill Howard Church

Erlanger, A. C., & Tsytsarev, S. V. (2012). The relationship between empathy and personality in undergraduate students' attitudes toward nonhuman animal. Society and Animals, 20, 21-39.

Published by admin on 02/20/2012 14:01:46

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