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Perceptions of animal minds

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Date Issued:
2010
Summary:
Previous research into people's perceptions of animals suggests that people view animals most favorably when they perceive them as being mentally like humans. This thesis examined whether animals perceived as threatening are still seen to be mentally similar to humans, but more likely to experience mental states associated with anger and aggression. Using three separate measures of people's perceptions of animals, including one designed for this study, it was found that participants did indeed view the mental lives of animals differently when those animals were perceived to be threatening. Examination of the effect of the animal chosen showed that some animals are inherently seen as more threatening and less-human like. The implications of these findings for animal conservation efforts, reduction of human-animal conflict, and anthropomorphism in the study of animal cognition were discussed.
Title: Perceptions of animal minds.
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Name(s): Maurer, Lauren N.
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Department of Psychology
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Issued: 2010
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form: electronic
Extent: ix, 70 p. : ill.
Language(s): English
Summary: Previous research into people's perceptions of animals suggests that people view animals most favorably when they perceive them as being mentally like humans. This thesis examined whether animals perceived as threatening are still seen to be mentally similar to humans, but more likely to experience mental states associated with anger and aggression. Using three separate measures of people's perceptions of animals, including one designed for this study, it was found that participants did indeed view the mental lives of animals differently when those animals were perceived to be threatening. Examination of the effect of the animal chosen showed that some animals are inherently seen as more threatening and less-human like. The implications of these findings for animal conservation efforts, reduction of human-animal conflict, and anthropomorphism in the study of animal cognition were discussed.
Identifier: 703263131 (oclc), 2978987 (digitool), FADT2978987 (IID), fau:3591 (fedora)
Note(s): by Lauren N. Maurer.
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010.
Includes bibliography.
Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 200?. Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subject(s): Cognition in animals
Human-animal relationships
Animal behavior
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2978987
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU