Research In Progress | Completed Projects | Potential Projects | Legacy Projects | Prioritization
These are the main projects currently underway at Faunalytics.
Longitudinal Study of Veg*n Retention
Four years ago, Faunalytics conducted ground-breaking research showing that there are far more former vegetarians and vegans than current ones. Thanks to generous funding from VegFund and the Animal Advocacy Research Fund, we are now conducting a longitudinal study looking at how new veg*ns transition to and maintain their new diets in the crucial early months. In partnership with Carleton University (Ottawa, ON, Canada), we recently launched a six-month longitudinal study looking at which habits, tools, and resources help people stick with the diet over time, so that advocacy groups can target their messages effectively and retain as many as possible.
This study is pre-registered on the Open Science Framework.
Using Social Norms Messages in Advocacy
In this campus-based randomized controlled trial, we will test the efficacy of messages about social norms (other people’s behavior) for reducing meat consumption using real food purchases. This study capitalizes on the skyrocketing popularity of plant-based eating to influence behavior. It will provide valuable information about the best ways to talk about changing trends in meat consumption and veg*nism.
This study is pre-registered on the Open Science Framework.
Donating To One Versus Millions
Often, being an effective advocate means helping as many animals as possible, but evidence is mixed about whether this is the most effective way to solicit donations. Psychological research has found that people are often more willing to give to an “identifiable victim,” which suggests that a single individual who represents the cause, like Hope the Pig, may encourage more donations than a statistic about the number of individuals suffering. At the same time, the type of people who are willing to donate to farmed animals may differ in their motivations from those who donate to other causes, like companion animals.
In this study, we will test the impact of a donation appeal for farmed vs. companion animals using a single individual versus statistics about total suffering. This study is pre-registered on the Open Science Framework.
Why We Retain Some Advocates and Lose Others
As an organization focused on capacity-building, Faunalytics is intensely interested in the question of why some advocates lapse after a few months or years and others stay engaged with the movement long-term. This question is complex and multi-faceted, but very important. Some of the factors we are considering for inclusion in the survey are emotional burnout, social support, feelings of making a meaningful contribution, and perceptions of conflict within the movement.
Once the design is finalized, this study’s design and analysis plan will be posted on the Open Science Framework.
Tracking Animal-Related Attitudes and Behavior (2008 – 2019)
In 2019 Faunalytics completed the 12th year of the animal protection movement’s only longitudinal study of opinions and behavior about animal issues. The Animal Tracker covers a wide range of animal topics and provides detailed demographic information for a representative sample of U.S. adults. This was the final year of the Animal Tracker, but a capstone analysis is currently underway to make the most of 12 years of data.
Reports | Data & Materials | Graphing Tool
Data-Driven Grant-Making for Animals
Faunalytics is working with a small group of animal funders to create a new database and global mapping tool for animal-related grants. Currently in private beta with about 16,000 grant records, the short-term focus of the tool is to help animal-related funders identify areas of potential need and find opportunities to collaborate with other grantmakers.
