Dispositional Optimism Of Animal Rights Demonstrators
This study measures activists’ opinions about the goals of the animal rights movement, as well as the perceived likeliness of achieving those goals. The survey was designed to track differences from previous research carried out in 1990.
33% response rate returned from 34 states.
Animal rights movement not successful in broadening the gender distribution of its base over the six years intervening between the two Marches for the Animals. Support predominantly from women, no evidence that men are attracted to the cause of animals in proportion to their numbers in the population. Median age of the respondents was slightly greater in the 1996 March and that the participants claimed to have been involved in the movement for about twice as long as those attending the 1990 event. This finding suggests that the movement may be not attracting new recruits in sufficient numbers to maintain the growth witnessed in the 1980’s.
Respondents believe almost all goals of the movement were very important except elimination of companion animals.
Goals that were seen as most likely to be achieved (the areas of product testing on animals, trapping animals for fur, and the use of animals in school dissections) are areas in which there has been visible social change over the past 20 years.
Goals least likely to be achieved involved areas where majority of animals are used by humans for food, clothing.
All strategies used by activists were perceived as at least somewhat effective.
Most effective were boycotts of companies involved in animal testing, setting personal examples, marches, demonstrations.
Most disruptive tactics (harassment of researchers, liberation of laboratory animals) were perceived as the least effective.
Activists had higher levels of optimism than college students or coronary bypass patients and a tendency for more optimistic activists to have a more favorable belief in the attainment of movement goals in the future.
Possible sources of bias: More optimistic activists more likely to attend the March or to mail back survey; assumption that optimism is a disposition — that it has the characteristics of a psychological trait.