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Can teaching veterinary and animal-science students about animal welfare affect their attitude toward animals and human-related empathy?
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21805938     Owner:  NLM     Status:  In-Process    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Attitudes toward animals are important in influencing how animals are treated. Few studies have investigated attitudes toward animals in veterinary or animal-science students, and no studies have compared attitudes to animals before and after a course teaching animal welfare and ethics. In this study, students enrolled in veterinary (first-year) or animal-science (first- and third-year) programs completed a questionnaire on attitudes toward different categories of animals before and after the course. Higher attitude scores suggest a person more concerned about how an animal is treated. Normally distributed data were compared using parametric statistics, and non-normally distributed data were compared using non-parametric tests, with significance p < .05. Attitudes toward pets (45.5-47.6) were higher than those toward pests (34.2-38.4) or profit animals (30.3-32.1). Attitude scores increased from before to after the course in the veterinary cohort on the Pest (36.9 vs. 38.4, respectively, n = 27, p < .05) and Profit (30.3 vs. 32.1, respectively, n = 28, p < .05) subscales, but not in the animal-science cohorts. Attitude scores in all categories were higher for women than for men. Currently having an animal was associated with higher pet scores (46.8 vs. 43.8, ns = 120 and 13, respectively, p < .05), and having an animal as a child was associated with higher profit scores (31.0 vs. 26.6, ns = 129 and 8, respectively, p < .05). Students electing to work with livestock had lower scores on the Pest and Profit subscales, and students wanting to work with wildlife had significantly higher scores on the Pest and Profit subscales. This study demonstrates attitudinal changes after an animal-welfare course, with significant increases in veterinary but not animal-science students.
Authors:
Susan J Hazel; Tania D Signal; Nicola Taylor
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of veterinary medical education     Volume:  38     ISSN:  0748-321X     ISO Abbreviation:  J Vet Med Educ     Publication Date:  2011  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-08-02     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7610519     Medline TA:  J Vet Med Educ     Country:  Canada    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  74-83     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, Australia. susan.hazel@adelaide.edu.au
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