State of the Animals 2001 – Chapter 3: Social Attitudes and Animals

Based on an analysis of different public opinion surveys, this article examines a range of attitudes and opinions relating to a variety of animal issues, including animals used in research, wearing fur, the treatment of farmed animals, and membership in animal protection organizations.

One major problem in assessing public opinion on controversial issues is how to word the question, which should be phrased to minimize bias.

A 1992 Reader’s Digest survey showed that 31% opposed animal research when confronted with the statement “It is wrong to use animals in laboratory experiments for medical research.” In a 1989 Parents Magazine survey conducted by Roper, those opposed to “If the only way we could find a cure for AIDS would be by using animals as research subjects, would you favor or oppose this kind of research.” comprised 15% of respondents.

Some surveys commissioned by advocacy groups include questions that are designed to skewed to support the group’s position.  For example, a 1990 survey by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a pro-hunting group asked “Certain animal rights groups want a total ban on all types of hunting.  Do yousupport this goal?”  21% of the 1000 respondents were opposed to hunting at some level, 57% approved of hunting to some extent.  In contrast, a 1991 by the neutral Princeton Survey Research Associations showed 33% finding hunting as morally right, and 56% finding in morally wrong when phrased “Do you think that hunting animals as a sport is morally right or wrong.”   Research that has studied attitude toward animal welfare indicate that pro-animal research attitudes were associated with conservative ideology, religious fundamentalism and less empathy for animals.

Attitudes are related to action; the A-B-C model poses that attitudes are the result of three psychological processes, affective (emotional), behavioral and cognitive, which work together, as they do in animal activism.   Public opinion on using nonhuman animals in research, as measured by various opinion surveys, conducted by Roper, unless otherwise noted  (Year of Study/ % Support/ % Oppose):

• “In general, do you favor or oppose the use of live animals in medical teaching and research?” – (1948/ 85%/8%)
• “Do you agree with the use of animals in experiments?” – (1985/58.8%/41.2%)
• “In general, do you support or oppose the use of animals in biomedical research?  And do you feel strongly about that?” – (1989/64%/29%)
• “Should we continue to conduct tests on animals to aid medical research?” University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill – (1991/63%/33%)
• “In general, do you support or oppose the use of animals in biomedical research? – (1992/63%/33%)
• “In general, do you support the use of animals in biomedical research?” (1993/65%/31%)
• “Is it okay to perform medical tests on animals?” Survey Research Center of Maryland – (1999/61.4%/36.5%)

Public opinion on using nonhuman animals in painful and injurious research, National Science Board 1985-1998 (Support%/Oppose%):

• 1985 (63%/30%)
• 1988 (53%/42%)
• 1990 (50%/45%)
• 1993 (53%/42%)
• 1996 (50%/45%)

Public opinion on using nonhuman animals in research for specific illness (Year/% Support/% Oppose)

• “As you may know, medical findings have been made using animal experiments.  But some people question the need for animal experiments in some cases.  Do you think it is necessary to use animals for” (Roper, 1985):

1. 1. Allergy Testing (1985/61%/27%),
   2. Some medical research such as cancer, heart diseases and diabetes (1985/81%/12%)

• “There has been some controversy recently about the use of animals in medical research.  If the only way we could find a cure for AIDS would be by using animals as research subjects, would you favor or oppose this kind of research?” (Roper, 1989) – (1989/78%/15%)
• “Do you favor or oppose animal testing on medical products used to combat serious illness?” (Ward, 1990) – (1990/76%/20%).

The public tends to weight benefits and costs when determining whether nonhuman animals should be used in research or not.  The more benefits perceived, the more tolerant people will be of animal research.   The % expressing concern by type of animal, according to Doyle, Dane, and Bernbach, 1983, were:  Dogs (89%), Seals (85%), Whales/dolphins/porpoises (84%), Horses (78%), Birds (76%), Cats (71%), farm animals (70%), Rabbits (67%),  Fish (64%), Hamsters/guinea pigs/mice (34%), Frogs (33%), Snakes (21%).

Support by use of particular animal (% support / % oppose ) – Monkeys (59.5%/34.5%), Dogs (51.3%/43.1%), Cats (53.3%/41.5%), Rats/Mice (76.1%/18.5%).

Public opinion in the UK on using monkeys and mice in specific research (% approval of Monkeys not subject to pain / % approval of Monkeys are subject to pain / % approval of Mine are not subject to pain / % Approval of Mice are subjected to pain)

• To ensure that  a new drug to cure leukemia in children is safe and effective (75%/52%/83%/65%)
• To develop a new vaccine against a virus that causes AIDS (69%/44%/77%/57%)
• To ensure that a new painkilling drug is safe and effective (65%/35%/74%/47%)
• To enable scientists to study how the sense of hearing works (56%/21%/70%/36%)
• To test whether an ingredient for use in cosmetics will be harmful to people (30%/6%/38%/12%)

Public opinion on the humane treatment of lab animals (Year/% Agree/% Oppose) –

• “When medical schools have animals that they are using in research, do you think they should take as good care of them as individual owners would?” National Opinion Research Center, 1949 (1948/79%/9%)
• “In general when doctors use animals in their work do you think they really try to keep them from hurting the animals?” (National Opinion Research Center, 1949) – (1948/75%/11%)
• “Do medical schools take as god care of animals as individual owners would?” (National Society for Medical Research, 1949) – (1948/75%/11%)
• “Generally, do you think researchers who use animals in experiments treat them humanely or not?” (Roper Center, 1985) – (1985/46%/30%)
• “As far as you know, are the animals used in medical and pharmaceutical researched treated humanely or not?” (Animal Industry Foundation, 1989) – (1989/33%/40%)
•  “Are animals treated humanely?” (Schaefer Center for Public Policy, 1992) – (1992/46.9%/35.8%)

Public behavior regarding cosmetics testing (Year/% Refusing/% Who Do Not Refuse):

“I’d like to know if you personally have already refused…to buy products where the ethical treatment of animals may be called into question.”  (Food Marketing Institute. 1991-94)

• (1991/58%/38%)
• (1992/48%/46%)
• (1993/51%/42%)
• (1994/51%/43%)

Public opinion on wearing fur (Year/% Accepting Fur/% Opposing Fur):

• “Is it okay to wear fur coats?” (Sieber 1986) – (1986/45%/47%)
• “Thinking about specific ways that humans assert their dominance over animals, please tell me if you think [killing animals to use their skins for fur coats] is wrong and should be prohibited by law, if you personally disapprove but don’t feel it should be illegal, or if it is acceptable to you.” (Roper 1989) – (1989/13%/85%)
• “Do you think there are some circumstances where it’s perfectly okay to kill an animal for it’s fur or do you think it’s wrong to kill an animal for its fur?” (Roper, 1989) – (1989/50%/46%)
• “Do you generally favor or oppose the wearing of clothes made of animal furs?” (Balzar 1993) – (1993/3%/50%)
• “The use of animal fur in clothing s should be banned in the U.S.” (Survey Research Center 1999) – (1999/43.8%/51.4%)

Public opinion on the humane treatment of specific farm animals:

“Turning to your understanding of the way specific kinds of animals are generally treated in this country, is it your feeling that the following animals are treated humanely or not?” (Animal Industry Foundation, 1989) (%Believing Treated Humanely/% Believing Not Treated Humanely)

• Egg laying hens (56%/19%)
• Beef Cattle (69%/12%)
• Broiler chickens (51%/19%)
• Turkeys (57%/17%)
• Hogs (63%/13%)
• Dairy Cows (79%/6%)
•  Veal Calves (49%/23%)

Public opinion on farm animal treatment, Caravan Opinion Research Corp 1995 (% who strongly/somewhat disapprove of the practice)

• Confining veal calves for their entire lives in narrow wooden stalls where they are unable to ever turn around (92%)
• Confining pigs for their entire lives in narrow metal stalls where they are unable ever to turn around (91%)
• Keeping hens in cages so small that they are never able to stretch their wings (90%)