首页 > 分享 > 传统宠物主义：养宠人身份、宠物类型与宠物特质对宠物道德地位的影响

传统宠物主义：养宠人身份、宠物类型与宠物特质对宠物道德地位的影响

萌宠菠菠乐园
2024-10-05 09:26

摘要：

宠物与人类的关系日益紧密, 宠物的道德地位也在发生微妙的变化。本文通过预研究将宠物分类成传统宠物和非传统宠物, 并通过研究1~3探讨养宠人身份、宠物类型与宠物特质对宠物道德地位的影响及作用机制。结果发现：(1)传统宠物道德地位高于非传统宠物, 该差异由能动性、感受性、危害性中介; (2)比起非传统养宠人, 传统养宠人感知到的传统宠物道德地位更高; 两者感知到的非传统宠物道德地位无显著差异; (3)动物同理心在传统养宠人宠物依恋与传统宠物道德地位之间起中介作用。这些结果表明宠物内部存在道德地位差别, 表现为传统宠物主义, 养宠人与宠物之间的情感联系在其中起到重要的促进作用。

关键词: 道德地位, 养宠人, 宠物, 宠物依恋, 同理心

Abstract:

An increasing number of people treat pets as their family members. Although there is no specific indication, that people first think of traditional pets such as dogs or cats when referring to pets. In this study, traditional pets are defined as widely popular pets that are accompanied by human beings; Non-traditional pets are defined as unique and novel pets that are different from traditional cognition. The factors that lead to the difference in perception of pet moral standing are not only pet properties but also pet ownership status. Recently, psychologists have sought to explore the relationship between people and pets. Such research dilemmas are focused on traditional pet owners and their traditional pets, and few studies pay attention to the relationship between non-traditional pet owners and their non-traditional pets. Here, we aim to investigate whether pet properties, pet ownership status, and pet type can affect the perception of pet moral standing and its mechanism.

To define the traditional pets and non-traditional pets in our study, we first conducted a pre-study (N = 29). For three studies, we used the snowball sampling technique to recruit participants voluntarily online via Qualtrics in Baidu Post Bar through a questionnaire. Study 1 explored the impact of pet ownership status, pet type, and pet properties on the perception of pet moral standing, N = 146 (traditional pet owners: 41, non-traditional pet owners: 53; women: 77). In Study 2, based on controlling the basic moral orientation, the influence of pet ownership status and pet type on the perception of pet moral standing was reverified, N = 148 (traditional pet owners: 72; women: 74). Study 3 further explored the mechanism of this effect, the purpose is to investigate the empathy for animals in the relationship between pet attachment and the perception of traditional pet moral standing, N = 202 (women: 108).

The results showed that: (1) The perception of traditional pet moral standing is higher than that of non-traditional pets, agency, experience and harmfulness played a mediating role; (2) Compared to non-pet owners, pet owners perceived a higher pet moral standing; Compared to non-traditional pet owners, traditional pet owners perceived a higher traditional pet moral standing; There was no significant difference in the perception of non-traditional pets moral standing; (3) The empathy for animals played a mediating role between the traditional pet owners pet attachment and the perception of traditional pet moral standing.

Pet speciesism also exists in pets, traditional pets are higher in the hierarchy than non-traditional pets. Pet owners regard pets as psychological-kin and in-group members. The positive attitude towards pets in communication and interaction can be extended to all pets. When further subdividing the pet owners, this positive attitude is more obvious in the traditional pet owners. This may be because traditional pet owners are more idealistic, and the two-way emotional attachment between traditional pet owners and pets leads to stronger empathy for animals, which ultimately manifests as a more positive moral attitude towards traditional pets. There is no preference for non-traditional pets in non-traditional pet owners, it may be to gain social approval or a strong attachment with pets isn’t formed.

Key words: moral standing, pet owners, pet, pet attachment, empathy

中图分类号:

B849