2018-2022

Capturing and unpacking the nature of our psychological connection with other animals

This research project aimed to identify the different ways by which we can feel psychologically connected to other animals. In other words, how we can identify with animals and feel a sense of belonging to the animal kingdom. In addition, this project aimed to discover what are the consequences of these different ways of identifying with animals.

Three ways of feeling connected to animals

We discovered three ways or dimensions by which people can feel psychologically connected to animals. First, we can feel solidarity with animals, which represents people’s psychological bond with, and commitment to, other animals. A person who feels such solidarity would agree with the following statement: ‘I feel committed to animals’. Second, people can identify with animals by recognizing that all animals, including humans, have a lot in common; this is referred to as human-animal similarity. Someone who feels strong human-animal similarity would agree with the statement: ‘Animals, including human animals, have a lot in common with each other.’ This person would also believe that animals are quite close to humans, for example, in terms of our intelligence and sensory abilities. Last but not least, people can have animal pride and identify with animals by feeling proud to be an animal. A person who feels high animal pride would agree with the statement: ‘I am proud to be an animal.’ This person directly recognizes being part of the animal kingdom and values being a member of this category.

The implications of these dimensions

A series of studies allowed us to test the concrete implications of these dimensions of identification, for animals and also for humans. We discovered that solidarity with animals predicted more positive attitudes and behaviors toward animals, even when this implies a loss of resources — like donations to charities — for humans relative to animals. Human-animal similarity, which is a more cognitive dimension, was associated with stronger moral considerations for animal welfare and a tendency to attribute typically human characteristics (e.g., intelligence, morality) to animals. Finally, animal pride predicted more negative attitudes toward animals, and a stronger endorsement of ideologies that support more competitive and hierarchical intergroup relations within society— a dog-eat-dog world view. These reactions could be due to the fact that people who feel a strong pride to be an animal may also endorse a view of animals as aggressive and motivated to defend their own territory, and to apply these characteristics to humans and to themselves.

Links with human psychological well-being

We then tested whether these dimensions of identification with animals have implications for human well-being. In a large representative sample, we found that the animal pride dimension most clearly predicted psychological well-being (i.e., higher vitality, life satisfaction, presence of meaning in life, but lower stress, loneliness, psychological inflexibility). These results could be due to the fact that animal pride may involve a particularly deep acceptance of who we are, including of our more impulsive aspects that connect us to animals. Furthermore, solidarity with animals predicted lower well-being (i.e., lower life satisfaction, stronger search for meaning in life); these results could be explained by the fact that the desire to help other animals can be demanding and hence impede psychological well-being. The dimension of human-animal similarity was not associated with psychological well-being, suggesting that this more cognitive and somewhat colder dimension of identification does not play a role in predicting well-being.

Particularly broad and inclusive implications and the role of contacts with pets

In another large representative study, we then explored the role that the three dimensions of identification with animals play in predicting particularly inclusive outcomes and social attitudes. Specifically, solidarity with animals predicted more positive attitudes toward a diversity of animal types (e.g., wild and farm animals), and weaker perceptions that humans are superior to other animals (i.e., anthropocentrism). Additionally, solidarity with animals predicted stronger concerns for the environment. The human-animal similarity dimension also predicted lower anthropocentrism, while animal pride predicted lower internal conflict associated with being an animal oneself. Interestingly, we also observed in this study that pet owners reported more positive attitudes toward non-pet animals (i.e., wild and farm animals) but also higher environmental concerns and lower meat consumption compared to non-pet owners. These results confirm that pets can act as ‘ambassadors’ of other animals more broadly, and even of nature. We also observed that the beneficial effects of having more positive and frequent contact with pets operated through an increase in solidarity with animals. These results suggest that concrete contacts with animals in our lives can encourage identification with animals more broadly; moreover, these contacts have implications that go beyond the specific context of human-pet interactions.

Prediction of willingness to try meat alternatives

Analyses conducted in the representative sample also aimed to verify whether the three dimensions of identification with animals, as well as some sociodemographic factors, predicted different variables that capture people’s willingness to eat meat alternatives; for example, cultured meat and plant-based meat alternatives. First, descriptive analyses revealed that the majority of respondents were either willing or uncertain about trying cultured meat and plant-based meat alternatives, while a minority were not willing to try these alternatives to meat. Regarding sociodemographic factors, being younger, of a more left-leaning political orientation, and having attained a higher level of education predicted a greater adoption of meat alternatives. While men reported being more willing to consume cultured meat, women reported consuming a greater number of portions of plant-based meat alternatives. The dimension of identification with animals pertaining to human-animal similarity predicted higher willingness to eat cultured meat and plant-based meat alternatives. Our results confirm the role of age, gender, education level, and political orientation in predicting the adoption of meat alternatives in a representative Canadian sample. They also show that feeling more similar to animals predicts these emerging trends.

Team members

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