Subjects: Psychology >> Other Disciplines of Psychology submitted time 2024-06-15
Abstract： Good human-pet relationship can bring many benefits to human beings, but the internal mechanism of intimate and important human-pet relationship is still unclear. It may be that due to prolonged close contact, pet owners will treat their pets as part of the family, and may even integrate pets into their self-concept, showing a processing advantage in the processing of pet-related information./t/nBased on this, this research adopts three studies to systematically investigate the relationship between pet owners and pets. Specifically speaking, in study 1, the IOS scale, self-concept questionnaire and anthropomorphic scale were used to examine the relationship between the self-concept of pets and pet owners. In study 2, R/K paradigm was used to investigate the processing characteristics of pet-related information by pet owners in terms of memory processing, and to confirm the existence of the reference effect of pets. Study 3 further used ERP technology to investigate the pet reference processing bias of pet owners from an electrophysiological perspective./t/nThe results showed that: (1) Compared with non-pet owners, pet owners would integrate pets into their self-concept and form the pet self, in which anthropomorphism played an intermediary role. (2) Pet owners have a stronger memory processing advantage for pet-related information, the recognition rate of the pet reference is significantly higher than celebrity reference and semantic reference, and is similar to self-reference and mother reference. (3) The induced LPC amplitude of pet reference was significantly higher than celebrity reference, but similar to mother reference, and significantly lower than self-reference./t/nIn conclusion, the present research demonstrated that pet owners will regard their pets as part of themselves, forming the pet self, and showing the pet reference effect on memory, but the pet self is essentially a relational self, and there is still a certain distance from the core self. Current research on the self focuses on significant others, but doesn’t involve the field of pets. More importantly, it is necessary for us to consider the impact of pets on individuals. Pet owners often treat their pets as important family members, creating a close bond that can help individuals recognize their pets as an extension of themselves and contribute to the positive impact that pets can have on their physical and mental health.
Peer Review Status:
Awaiting Review
Subjects: Psychology >> Social Psychology submitted time 2023-05-04
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.
Subjects: Psychology >> Developmental Psychology submitted time 2023-03-28 Cooperative journals: 《心理科学进展》
Abstract： Moral decision-making is operationalized by the final choice making after weighing the advantages and disadvantages of behaviors and their following outcomes, when an individual faces a moral dilemma with conflicting moral values or needs. The traditional moral dilemma is though a classical and established paradigm for studying moral decision, however, still has been widely criticized for its unrealistic scenarios and lack of effective indicators to quantify utilitarian and deontological response, which strongly affect the accurate interpretation of moral decision-making. To overcome the shortcomings of traditional moral dilemma paradigm, the CNI model of moral decision-making uses multinomial modeling to quantify the individual sensitivity regarding consequences and moral norms, and general behavioral preference, and therefore can more clearly identify the factors that affect moral decision-making. Future research should focus on further factors that affect moral decision-making, the ecological validity of moral scenarios, and cross-cultural generalisability to optimize the CNI model, and the investigation of the underlying psychological mechanism of moral decision-making.
Subjects: Psychology >> Social Psychology submitted time 2020-09-04
Abstract： " Moral decision-making is operationalized by the final choice making after weighing the advantages and disadvantages of behaviors and their following outcomes, when an individual faces a moral dilemma with conflicting moral values or needs. The traditional moral dilemma is though a classical and established paradigm for studying moral decision, however, still has been widely criticized for its unrealistic scenarios and lack of effective indicators to quantify utilitarian and deontological response, which strongly affect the accurate interpretation of moral decision-making. To overcome the shortcomings of traditional moral dilemma paradigm, the CNI model of moral decision-making uses multinomial modeling to quantify the individual sensitivity regarding consequences and moral norms, and general behavioral preference, and therefore can more clearly identify the factors that affect moral decision-making. Future research should focus on further factors that affect moral decision-making, the ecological validity of moral scenarios, and cross-cultural generalisability to optimize the CNI model, and the investigation of the underlying psychological mechanism of moral decision-making.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
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