The Complexity of Relationships Between Animals: the Contribution of Empathy and Gender to the Understanding of Animal Abuse
Problem: Traditionally, both the environment and other animals have been excluded from the sphere of moral consideration, even though humans’ positive relationship with them brings benefits for the health of both creatures and promotes the development of empathy and the display of prosocial behavior...
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| Format: | Online |
| Language: | spa |
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Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad
2024
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| Online Access: | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/41238 |
| _version_ | 1806009928385560576 |
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| author | Moll, Mariana Fernández, Rocío Morales, María Isabel Sorribas, Patricia Mariel |
| author_facet | Moll, Mariana Fernández, Rocío Morales, María Isabel Sorribas, Patricia Mariel |
| author_sort | Moll, Mariana |
| collection | Portal de Revistas |
| description | Problem: Traditionally, both the environment and other animals have been excluded from the sphere of moral consideration, even though humans’ positive relationship with them brings benefits for the health of both creatures and promotes the development of empathy and the display of prosocial behaviors (Ngai, Yu, Chau, Lee & Wong, 2021). In fact, in recent decades there have been cases of zoonoses, inappropriate use of resources, deterioration of the environment and an increase in recorded cases of animal abuse. Animal abuse, a complex and multi-determined phenomenon, frequently works as a precursor or indicator of other behaviors classified as “antisocial”, violent and non-violent. There is conflicting evidence regarding the role that empathy plays in the emission or inhibition of aggressive behaviors and how generalizable interspecies empathy is. In this respect, three phenomena of interest stand out: empathic erosion, progressive desensitization to violence and compassion fatigue. Objective: To determine whether the levels of empathy, the willingness to behave abusively against other animals, and actual animal abuse behavior are related to the context of pre-professional training, self-perceived gender, and current and/or previous ownership of other companion animals in university students who are in the final stage of their training to obtain their university degree in Psychology. Methodology: Retrospective ex post facto single case design (N=241). A self-administered questionnaire was applied that included the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, the Animal Empathy Scale, the Animal Abuse Proclivity Scale and the quantity and frequency of effective animal abuse behaviors. Contribution: the contribution of self-perceived gender to the relationship between various measures of empathy and abuse towards other animals is evidenced, and the thesis of the non-generalizability of interspecies empathy is reinforced. |
| format | Online |
| id | oai:ojs.revistas.unc.edu.ar:article-41238 |
| institution | Universidad Nacional de Cordoba |
| language | spa |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | oai:ojs.revistas.unc.edu.ar:article-412382024-07-20T00:54:22Z The Complexity of Relationships Between Animals: the Contribution of Empathy and Gender to the Understanding of Animal Abuse La complejidad de las relaciones entre animales: aporte de la empatía y el género a la comprensión del abuso animal Moll, Mariana Fernández, Rocío Morales, María Isabel Sorribas, Patricia Mariel empatía hacia humanos empatía hacia animales no humanos crueldad animal erosión empática empathy towards humans empathy towards non-human animals animal cruelty empathic erosion Problem: Traditionally, both the environment and other animals have been excluded from the sphere of moral consideration, even though humans’ positive relationship with them brings benefits for the health of both creatures and promotes the development of empathy and the display of prosocial behaviors (Ngai, Yu, Chau, Lee & Wong, 2021). In fact, in recent decades there have been cases of zoonoses, inappropriate use of resources, deterioration of the environment and an increase in recorded cases of animal abuse. Animal abuse, a complex and multi-determined phenomenon, frequently works as a precursor or indicator of other behaviors classified as “antisocial”, violent and non-violent. There is conflicting evidence regarding the role that empathy plays in the emission or inhibition of aggressive behaviors and how generalizable interspecies empathy is. In this respect, three phenomena of interest stand out: empathic erosion, progressive desensitization to violence and compassion fatigue. Objective: To determine whether the levels of empathy, the willingness to behave abusively against other animals, and actual animal abuse behavior are related to the context of pre-professional training, self-perceived gender, and current and/or previous ownership of other companion animals in university students who are in the final stage of their training to obtain their university degree in Psychology. Methodology: Retrospective ex post facto single case design (N=241). A self-administered questionnaire was applied that included the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, the Animal Empathy Scale, the Animal Abuse Proclivity Scale and the quantity and frequency of effective animal abuse behaviors. Contribution: the contribution of self-perceived gender to the relationship between various measures of empathy and abuse towards other animals is evidenced, and the thesis of the non-generalizability of interspecies empathy is reinforced. Problema: tradicionalmente se ha excluido de la esfera de consideración moral tanto al ambiente como a otros animales, aun cuando una relación positiva con ellos reporta beneficios para la salud de unas y otras criaturas y promueve el desarrollo de empatía y la emisión de conductas prosociales (Ngai, Yu, Chau, Lee y Wong, 2021). De hecho, en las últimas décadas se han observado casos de zoonosis, uso inadecuado de recursos, deterioro del ambiente y un aumento de casos registrados de abuso animal. El abuso animal, fenómeno complejo y multideterminado, frecuentemente funciona como precursor o indicador de otras conductas calificadas como “antisociales”, violentas y no violentas. Respecto del rol que juega la empatía en la emisión o inhibición de conductas agresivas y de cuán generalizable es la empatía interespecie, existe evidencia contradictoria y se resaltan aquí tres fenómenos de interés: erosión empática, desensibilización progresiva a la violencia y fatiga por compasión. Objetivo: determinar si los niveles de empatía, la disposición a comportarse de manera abusiva contra otros animales y la conducta efectiva de abuso animal se relacionan con el contexto de formación preprofesional, el género autopercibido y la tenencia actual y/o previa de animales de compañía en estudiantes universitarios que cursan el tramo final de la Licenciatura en Psicología. Metodología: diseño ex post facto retrospectivo de grupo único (N = 241). Se aplicó un cuestionario autoadministrado que incluyó el Interpersonal Reactivity Index, la Animal Empathy Scale, la Animal Abuse Proclivity Scale y la cantidad y frecuencia de conductas efectivas de abuso animal. Contribución: se evidencia sobre el aporte del género autopercibido a la relación entre diversas medidas de empatía y el abuso hacia otros animales y se refuerza la tesis de la no generalizabilidad de la empatía interespecie. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad 2024-07-20 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Artículos revisados por pares application/pdf text/html https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/41238 Astrolabio; No. 33 (2024): July - December: Towards the End of Human Exceptionality: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on the Animal Question; 184-216 Astrolabio; Núm. 33 (2024): Julio - Diciembre: Hacia el fin de la excepcionalidad humana: miradas multidisciplinarias sobre la cuestión animal; 184-216 Astrolabio; n. 33 (2024): Julho a dezembro: Rumo ao fim da excepcionalidade humana: perspectivas multidisciplinares sobre a questão animal; 184-216 1668-7515 10.55441/1668.7515.n33 spa https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/41238/45788 https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/41238/45805 Derechos de autor 2024 Mariana Moll, Rocío Fernández, María Isabel Morales, Patricia Mariel Sorribas https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 |
| spellingShingle | empatía hacia humanos empatía hacia animales no humanos crueldad animal erosión empática empathy towards humans empathy towards non-human animals animal cruelty empathic erosion Moll, Mariana Fernández, Rocío Morales, María Isabel Sorribas, Patricia Mariel The Complexity of Relationships Between Animals: the Contribution of Empathy and Gender to the Understanding of Animal Abuse |
| title | The Complexity of Relationships Between Animals: the Contribution of Empathy and Gender to the Understanding of Animal Abuse |
| title_alt | La complejidad de las relaciones entre animales: aporte de la empatía y el género a la comprensión del abuso animal |
| title_full | The Complexity of Relationships Between Animals: the Contribution of Empathy and Gender to the Understanding of Animal Abuse |
| title_fullStr | The Complexity of Relationships Between Animals: the Contribution of Empathy and Gender to the Understanding of Animal Abuse |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Complexity of Relationships Between Animals: the Contribution of Empathy and Gender to the Understanding of Animal Abuse |
| title_short | The Complexity of Relationships Between Animals: the Contribution of Empathy and Gender to the Understanding of Animal Abuse |
| title_sort | complexity of relationships between animals the contribution of empathy and gender to the understanding of animal abuse |
| topic | empatía hacia humanos empatía hacia animales no humanos crueldad animal erosión empática empathy towards humans empathy towards non-human animals animal cruelty empathic erosion |
| topic_facet | empatía hacia humanos empatía hacia animales no humanos crueldad animal erosión empática empathy towards humans empathy towards non-human animals animal cruelty empathic erosion |
| url | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/41238 |
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