Aim: This study aimed to find evidence for the theory of Epley et al. (2007), by testing whether people’s likelihood of anthropomorphizing animals is related to the following three self-reported...Show moreAim: This study aimed to find evidence for the theory of Epley et al. (2007), by testing whether people’s likelihood of anthropomorphizing animals is related to the following three self-reported psychological factors: 1) the availability and richness of knowledge structures about animals (elicited agent knowledge), 2) the need to control the environment (effectance motivation), and 3) the need and desire for social contact (sociality motivation). It was hypothesised that people are more likely to anthropomorphize when self-reported elicited agent knowledge is low and self-reported effectance and sociality motivation are high. Methods: A questionnaire was used to obtain the psychological factors. Next, Participants (N = 158; 42 males, 116 females) were instructed to record themselves watching zoo animals or videos of them at home. During these recordings, they had to express their thoughts, feelings, and observations about the animal. The recordings were then used to conduct a speech analysis to measure the participants' anthropomorphic speech. Finally, it was analysed whether anthropomorphic speech correlated with the self-reported psychological factors. Results: The results showed that none of the self-reported psychological factors had an effect on their own. To investigate whether this lack of effect was caused by cross-over interactions, a post-hoc analysis was performed using the interactions of the main predictors added to the model. Results of this analysis showed one significant cross-over interaction between selfreported elicited agent knowledge and effectance motivation. Discussion: Contrary to expectations, anthropomorphic speech was not correlated with any of the self-reported psychological factors separately and therefore all three hypotheses were rejected. However, the cross-over effect found indicates that anthropomorphic speech is more complexly related to self-reported elicited agent knowledge and effectiveness motivation than the theory of Epley et al. (2007) suggests.Show less
This thesis examines medieval and early modern ordinances found in the ordinance books of the cities of Ghent, Dordrecht, Leiden, Sint-Truiden and Antwerp in order to establish whether city...Show moreThis thesis examines medieval and early modern ordinances found in the ordinance books of the cities of Ghent, Dordrecht, Leiden, Sint-Truiden and Antwerp in order to establish whether city policies relating to animals were changed during disease outbreaks.Show less
Animal remains that were discovered in cremation- or inhumation graves dating to the prehistory are often interpreted as food offerings for the deceased. Animals are still categorized in human...Show moreAnimal remains that were discovered in cremation- or inhumation graves dating to the prehistory are often interpreted as food offerings for the deceased. Animals are still categorized in human-subject and animal-object categories that interpret animals as an addition to the live of the prehistoric people instead of living beings. Interpreting animal remains from graves with this approach limits the possibility that animals were buried other than food offerings. This traditional view has been questioned by scholars such as Russell and Hill. Their research has concluded that many prehistoric habitants perceived objects in their universe as living and dynamic agents able to make independent and deliberate decisions. Russell has made a subdivision between different animal find categories found in graves. With these categories, he rejects the pre-assumption that animals were only used for their nutritional value and always placed as a food offering in the grave. This thesis tests the approach from Russell and Hill by analyzing faunal remains that were found in the Bronze- and Iron Age graves in the Netherlands. The aim of this thesis is to research if there is a different perspective on how prehistoric people perceived and used animals. For both the faunal remains from the Bronze Age as for the remains from the Iron Age a database is constructed. The faunal assemblage is thereafter analysed and categorized in the following five categories: food offerings (bones from meaty parts of the animal), ornamental grave goods (decorated or perforated objects and hunting trophies), implements (tools), individuals (complete animal skeletons) and the last category contains other uncategorized finds. An overview of animals that were found in Bronze- and Iron Age settlements were presented in this thesis. Animals found at settlements in the Bronze- and Iron Age consist mainly of livestock animals, such as cattle, sheep/goats and pigs. In Bronze Age settlements game animals were found often, indicating that these animals were still part of the diet. In Iron Age settlements game animals were found sporadically, indicating that these were not frequently eaten. Various animal species were discovered in both Bronze- and Iron Age graves. Animals that were found in Bronze Age graves were cattle, sheep/goat, pig, horse, dog, deer, fish, bird and brown bear. Animals that were found in Iron Age graves were cattle, sheep/goat, pig, horse, deer, bird, fish and marten. The results of the comparative analysis between the Bronze- and Iron Age animal remains prove that there is a changing perception of animals demonstrated between the Bronze- and Iron Age. During the Bronze Age, animals were frequently buried as ornaments and individuals. Animals that were buried as individuals were treated as if they were humans. Food offerings to the deceased was not often observed. This could be indicating that some Bronze Age people formed an emotional bond with animals, which is in sharp contrast with the traditional view that animals were only held due to their nutritional value. In the Iron Age on the other hand animals were mainly buried offered as food and less frequently as ornamental- and implements or individuals, which can be interpreted as attempts by family members or friends to ensure that the deceased would not suffer from food shortage in the afterlife. The Dutch Bronze- and Iron Age faunal assemblage indicates a shift in the perception of animals between the Bronze- and Iron Age from a perception that allowed people to bond emotionally with animals to a perception of animals that is focused on their ritual and nutritional value.Show less
This thesis explores twelfth to fourteenth century attitudes toward continuity and change in medieval stories about the Wild Man. Can these stories, dealing with the human-animal border, be seen as...Show moreThis thesis explores twelfth to fourteenth century attitudes toward continuity and change in medieval stories about the Wild Man. Can these stories, dealing with the human-animal border, be seen as an expression of discomfort? Could the Wild Man, like Ovid's poetry, be interpreted as a fascination with hybridity and metamorphosis? Or should we conclude that the Wild Man both frightens and fascinates in the way horror movies simultaneously repel and attract modern man? To provide a contrast to the half-way creature of the Wild Man, this work explores the way of presenting animals in Chaucer’s Parliament of Fowls and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It then analyses the twelfth century Vita Merlini, and the fourteenth century Sir Orfeo and Ywain and Gawain and argues that these texts, at least partly, express an unease with change and the loss of self.Show less
This thesis explores whether the killing of animals for human consumption is permissible and the moral limits of this permissibility. I am going to propose and evaluate an argument as to why it is...Show moreThis thesis explores whether the killing of animals for human consumption is permissible and the moral limits of this permissibility. I am going to propose and evaluate an argument as to why it is permissible to slaughter farm animals if this does not harm them. It is called the permissibility of larding argument. I will also look at several possible objections against this view. The most important objection is that if a lack of harm can make the killing of animals permissible, than it would also be permissible to kill humans if it does not harm them. Another fundamental issue I will call the baseline of comparison objection. A final issue has to deal with the credibility of the first premise of the argument, which is that every wrong involves harming. I will conclude that the permissibility of larding argument is untenable because it does not hold up well against the baseline of comparison objection and the objection to the first premise.Show less
Ever since the foundation of the online video platform YouTube in 2006 and the online social media platforms Facebook (2004) and Twitter (2006), the mass spreading of the animal rights...Show moreEver since the foundation of the online video platform YouTube in 2006 and the online social media platforms Facebook (2004) and Twitter (2006), the mass spreading of the animal rights organisations’ undercover footage over the Internet has caused a lot of controversy and has resulted in for example the dismissal of certain animal products by major companies under the pressure of the media. Evidently, these photographs and videos do affect people. This observation was the starting point of my research and lead me to the main research question: Which characteristics of the media photography and film are exploited in three approaches to footage shot in factory farms by undercover investigators of animal rights organisations?Show less
