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Publication
Perception Of Caretakers On Animal Consciousness In Wildlife Conservation
| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.93 MB | Adobe PDF |
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
A percepção humana da consciência dos animais evoluiu ao longo do tempo e influencia a maneira como são tratados. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar as percepções da consciência animal em pessoas que trabalham em conservação. Através de uma pesquisa online, os participantes (n=87) foram questionados sobre as capacidades dos animais relacionadas com 10 dimensões da consciência. A soma das respostas às perguntas foi validada como um "índice de percepção" e sua variação de acordo com fatores taxonómicos, demográficos, profissionais e a duração, tipo e frequência de interação com os animais foi avaliada com modelos lineares generalizados. As percepções dos participantes variaram com a classe taxonómica e o nível de educação, com os mamíferos obtendo índices de percepção mais altos do que as aves (-0,14; IC 95% -0,24,-0,03, p<0,01) ou répteis (-0,41; IC 95% -0,55,-0,27, p<0,01), e os respondentes com doutorado exibindo índices de percepção mais altos do que aqueles com bacharelado (-0,19; IC 95% -0,32,-0,06, p<0,01) ou educação secundária (-0,18; IC 95% -0,32,-0,03, p=0,01). A atribuição de consciência seguiu um padrão filogenético, mas várias exceções foram observadas em uma escala mais fina, apoiando uma influência multifatorial na percepção da consciência animal que emerge a partir de um padrão filogenético básico. Finalmente, os resultados sugerem que os conservacionistas superestimam a consciência animal em comparação com as evidências científicas atuais, e destacam a necessidade de mais pesquisas sobre a convergência entre percepção, crença e evidência.
Human perception of animals' consciousness has evolved over time and influences the way they treat them. This study aimed to assess perceptions of animal consciousness in people working in conservation. Through an online survey, participants (n=87) were asked questions about animals' capabilities related with 10 dimensions of consciousness. The sum of the answers to the questions was validated as a “perception index” and it’s variation according to taxonomic, demographic, professional factors and the duration, type and frequency of interaction with animals was assessed with generalized linear models. Participants' perceptions varied with taxonomic class and the level of education, with mammals obtaining higher perception indexes than birds (-0.14; 34 95% CI -0.24,-0.03, p<0.01) or reptiles (-0.41; 95% CI -0.55,-0.27, p<0.01), and respondents holding a PhD exhibiting higher perception indexes than those with BSc’s (-0.19; 95% CI -0.32,-0.06, p<0.01) or secondary education (-0.18; 95% CI -0.32,-0.03, p=0.01). The attribution of consciousness followed a phylogenetic pattern, but several exceptions were noted on a finer scale supporting a multifactorial influence on the perception of animal consciousness that emerges upon a baseline phylogenetic pattern. Finally, the results suggest that conservationists overestimate animal consciousness compared to current scientific evidence, and highlight the need for further research on the convergence between perception, belief and evidence.
Human perception of animals' consciousness has evolved over time and influences the way they treat them. This study aimed to assess perceptions of animal consciousness in people working in conservation. Through an online survey, participants (n=87) were asked questions about animals' capabilities related with 10 dimensions of consciousness. The sum of the answers to the questions was validated as a “perception index” and it’s variation according to taxonomic, demographic, professional factors and the duration, type and frequency of interaction with animals was assessed with generalized linear models. Participants' perceptions varied with taxonomic class and the level of education, with mammals obtaining higher perception indexes than birds (-0.14; 34 95% CI -0.24,-0.03, p<0.01) or reptiles (-0.41; 95% CI -0.55,-0.27, p<0.01), and respondents holding a PhD exhibiting higher perception indexes than those with BSc’s (-0.19; 95% CI -0.32,-0.06, p<0.01) or secondary education (-0.18; 95% CI -0.32,-0.03, p=0.01). The attribution of consciousness followed a phylogenetic pattern, but several exceptions were noted on a finer scale supporting a multifactorial influence on the perception of animal consciousness that emerges upon a baseline phylogenetic pattern. Finally, the results suggest that conservationists overestimate animal consciousness compared to current scientific evidence, and highlight the need for further research on the convergence between perception, belief and evidence.
Description
Keywords
Mente Animal Consciência Conservação Relação Humano-Animal Vida Selvagem Animal Mind Consciousness Conservation Human-Animal Relation Wildlife