Psychology Commons^™

Coping With Dissonance: Psychological Mechanisms That Enable Ambivalent Attitudes Toward Animals, Sophie Veilleux

Honors College

People generally tend to love and show care for animals. Yet they also purchase and consume animal products that are produced in a way that causes animals great suffering. This critical literature review focuses on the psychological mechanisms that ease or eliminate cognitive tensions associated with the recognition of one’s contribution to animal suffering. The major mechanisms discussed are cognitive dissonance, psychic numbing, denial of mind, and linguistic objectification. Psychosocial factors are also discussed, including physical invisibility of animal cruelty, improper socialization about farm animals, and group biases. Recent studies specifically focused on human attitudes toward animals and their suffering …