The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, included five experiments involving more than 2,000 people. The researchers showed them various data on the cognitive and emotional abilities of animals: the ability to empathize, communicate, cooperate and remember.
The results showed that people didn’t care or care more about evidence that animals have complex mental states than evidence that they don’t. This has led people to underestimate the intelligence of animals.
The study, published in the journal Cognition, reveals a major psychological barrier to how we view animals; this can make it difficult to appreciate them for who they really are and to properly organize our relationship with them.
“We are used to seeing animals below us. Our relationships with animals can be loving and compassionate, but they often remain exploitative: for example, when we use them for food, medical and consumer research, work and entertainment. This can lead to animals being treated primarily as objects. “Our research highlights the ambiguous relationship humans have with animals and will serve as a framework to help people align their beliefs about animals with their actions,” said Dr. Christopher Dhont.
Source: Ferra
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