A significant body of research in the field of human-animal studies has focused on animals who li... more A significant body of research in the field of human-animal studies has focused on animals who live alongside humans within the home, with such animals often considered family members. To date, however, this research has focused almost exclusively on the experiences of heterosexual cisgender people, overlooking other diverse genders and/or sexualities. This paper seeks to address this gap by reporting on findings from a study of 503 people living in Australia or the United Kingdom. Specifically, the research sought to explore links between psychological distress, social support, family violence, and views about animal companions. Notable amongst the findings was an interaction between having experienced familial violence and living with an animal companion, and the impact of both on psychological distress and social support. The paper concludes by considering the implications of the findings for better understanding the lives of people of diverse genders and/or sexualities.
This research identifies the psychosocial needs of HIV-positive women attending two of the newly ... more This research identifies the psychosocial needs of HIV-positive women attending two of the newly established Community Care Centres in Kerala, as recounted by the health care practitioners of those services. Findings include the complex and devastating impacts of the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS on women's lives, including their avoidance of health care due to fear of disclosure and the denial of their children's access to education. The report suggests that further research into the linkages between the different stakeholders, to fully exploit the successful strategies employed by each to combat the stigma, may well be beneficial in addressing one of the most damaging and pervasive challenges of the disease.
... 12728. Title: Attitudes to animals: an indicator of interpersonal violence? Authors: Signal, ... more ... 12728. Title: Attitudes to animals: an indicator of interpersonal violence? Authors: Signal, T Taylor, Nik. Issue Date: 2004. Citation: Taylor, N. & Signal, T., 2004. Attitudes to animals: an indicator of interpersonal violence?. Journal ...
ABSTRACT Tertiary institutions are increasingly looking to emerging technologies as a means of en... more ABSTRACT Tertiary institutions are increasingly looking to emerging technologies as a means of enhancing teaching and the student experience. The focus of this study was to determine if personal values had an effect on adoption of teaching technologies and academics awareness of their personal and oragnisation’s values. The study was undertaken in a workshop with nine academics at a teaching technology conference in the United States of America. Academics were asked to reflect on the types of technology used in their teaching, the influence of organisational values in adoption of emerging teaching technology, as well as their understanding of their own personal values. In addressing these questions, the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) was used to examine individual awareness of personal values but also reflect on organisational values and the part these both play in the eventual adoption of emerging teaching technologies. The findings were that whether conscious or otherwise, personal values play a part in the adoption of teaching technology, and for better or worse should be considered when adopting technology for teaching and learning.
Abstract Although the popularity of Humane Education Programs (HEP) as a method of teaching com-p... more Abstract Although the popularity of Humane Education Programs (HEP) as a method of teaching com-passion and caring for all living beings is increasing, there is a need for rigorous, methodologi-cally sound research evaluating the efficacy of HEP. Recent calls for the ...
ABSTRACT Previous research has examined a range of demographic variables that have been shown to ... more ABSTRACT Previous research has examined a range of demographic variables that have been shown to influence an individual’s attitude towards, and in turn their treatment of, animals however little is known about the effect of certain occupations upon these attitudes. The current study examines attitudes towards animals and propensity for aggression within a sample of farmers and meat workers in Queensland, Australia. Recent findings and publicity around the effects of employment (and cases of deliberate animal cruelty) within these industries indicates that this is an area in need of investigation from both human, and animal, welfare perspectives. The implications of the current findings for the meat working industry and the field of human-animal studies more widely are discussed.
The auditory abilities of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) have been measured by coch... more The auditory abilities of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) have been measured by cochlear potential readings, but no behavioural determinations of their auditory abilities have been published. Six experimentally naive possums were trained to perform a two-response conditional discrimination between the presence and absence of an 880-Hz tone (at 80 dB). All six possums readily learned this task. The behavioural threshold for this tone was determined using a modified tracking procedure and found to be similar to that reported using cochlear microphonic potentials. One concern with the current method was the communal nature of the experimental environment so a further threshold determination in a sound-attenuating chamber was conducted. No substantial difference was noted between the results obtained in the two threshold determinations. The success of the current method means that a full, behavioural audiogram for the brushtail possum, which would complement the existing cochlear potential data, is now possible.
A significant body of research in the field of human-animal studies has focused on animals who li... more A significant body of research in the field of human-animal studies has focused on animals who live alongside humans within the home, with such animals often considered family members. To date, however, this research has focused almost exclusively on the experiences of heterosexual cisgender people, overlooking other diverse genders and/or sexualities. This paper seeks to address this gap by reporting on findings from a study of 503 people living in Australia or the United Kingdom. Specifically, the research sought to explore links between psychological distress, social support, family violence, and views about animal companions. Notable amongst the findings was an interaction between having experienced familial violence and living with an animal companion, and the impact of both on psychological distress and social support. The paper concludes by considering the implications of the findings for better understanding the lives of people of diverse genders and/or sexualities.
This research identifies the psychosocial needs of HIV-positive women attending two of the newly ... more This research identifies the psychosocial needs of HIV-positive women attending two of the newly established Community Care Centres in Kerala, as recounted by the health care practitioners of those services. Findings include the complex and devastating impacts of the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS on women's lives, including their avoidance of health care due to fear of disclosure and the denial of their children's access to education. The report suggests that further research into the linkages between the different stakeholders, to fully exploit the successful strategies employed by each to combat the stigma, may well be beneficial in addressing one of the most damaging and pervasive challenges of the disease.
... 12728. Title: Attitudes to animals: an indicator of interpersonal violence? Authors: Signal, ... more ... 12728. Title: Attitudes to animals: an indicator of interpersonal violence? Authors: Signal, T Taylor, Nik. Issue Date: 2004. Citation: Taylor, N. & Signal, T., 2004. Attitudes to animals: an indicator of interpersonal violence?. Journal ...
ABSTRACT Tertiary institutions are increasingly looking to emerging technologies as a means of en... more ABSTRACT Tertiary institutions are increasingly looking to emerging technologies as a means of enhancing teaching and the student experience. The focus of this study was to determine if personal values had an effect on adoption of teaching technologies and academics awareness of their personal and oragnisation’s values. The study was undertaken in a workshop with nine academics at a teaching technology conference in the United States of America. Academics were asked to reflect on the types of technology used in their teaching, the influence of organisational values in adoption of emerging teaching technology, as well as their understanding of their own personal values. In addressing these questions, the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) was used to examine individual awareness of personal values but also reflect on organisational values and the part these both play in the eventual adoption of emerging teaching technologies. The findings were that whether conscious or otherwise, personal values play a part in the adoption of teaching technology, and for better or worse should be considered when adopting technology for teaching and learning.
Abstract Although the popularity of Humane Education Programs (HEP) as a method of teaching com-p... more Abstract Although the popularity of Humane Education Programs (HEP) as a method of teaching com-passion and caring for all living beings is increasing, there is a need for rigorous, methodologi-cally sound research evaluating the efficacy of HEP. Recent calls for the ...
ABSTRACT Previous research has examined a range of demographic variables that have been shown to ... more ABSTRACT Previous research has examined a range of demographic variables that have been shown to influence an individual’s attitude towards, and in turn their treatment of, animals however little is known about the effect of certain occupations upon these attitudes. The current study examines attitudes towards animals and propensity for aggression within a sample of farmers and meat workers in Queensland, Australia. Recent findings and publicity around the effects of employment (and cases of deliberate animal cruelty) within these industries indicates that this is an area in need of investigation from both human, and animal, welfare perspectives. The implications of the current findings for the meat working industry and the field of human-animal studies more widely are discussed.
The auditory abilities of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) have been measured by coch... more The auditory abilities of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) have been measured by cochlear potential readings, but no behavioural determinations of their auditory abilities have been published. Six experimentally naive possums were trained to perform a two-response conditional discrimination between the presence and absence of an 880-Hz tone (at 80 dB). All six possums readily learned this task. The behavioural threshold for this tone was determined using a modified tracking procedure and found to be similar to that reported using cochlear microphonic potentials. One concern with the current method was the communal nature of the experimental environment so a further threshold determination in a sound-attenuating chamber was conducted. No substantial difference was noted between the results obtained in the two threshold determinations. The success of the current method means that a full, behavioural audiogram for the brushtail possum, which would complement the existing cochlear potential data, is now possible.
Animals are increasingly being used in a range of social work settings and extant research demons... more Animals are increasingly being used in a range of social work settings and extant research demonstrates they can offer a wide range of benefits to humans. With other professions, social work is oriented toward caring for people but does not officially recognise (non-human) animals. Given the rise in animal related interventions and emergence of Veterinary Social Work, we argue that this needs to change. We recognise that obstacles to change include social work's history of dichotomising (or falsely dividing) humans from animals, and focussing on human experiences of social problems (such as poverty). Using a program example of a canine assisted therapy project for child sexual abuse victims/survivors in Bundaberg (Central Queensland, Australia), we consider some of the ethical and practical issues associated with animal-assisted therapies (AATs). We examine whether animal-assisted therapies (AATs) can benefit both humans and animals by positively changing peoples' attitudes and behaviours towards animals. We argue that the ethical legitimacy of AATs rests on their willingness to understand animals as sentient beings with needs of their own, not just possessions or tools for humans to use.
Abstract An experiment was conducted to observe the influence of autonomic arousal on subsequent ... more Abstract An experiment was conducted to observe the influence of autonomic arousal on subsequent gambling behavior. Thirty-seven male and 32 female regular Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) players were recruited through newspaper advertisements. Participants were randomly assigned to either: (1) a control condition, or (2) an experimental condition that introduced a loud white-noise event (80 db) at fixed 120 s intervals throughout the 5-min EGM gambling session. Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) measurements showed that the manipulation was successful in elevating autonomic arousal. The results showed differences in behavioral response to the manipulation based on prior experience with gambling problems. Persons with many gambling problems had lower average bet-sizes in the white-noise condition compared to the control, while those with few or no problems had higher average bet-sizes. The results suggest that arousal may provide different signals to gamblers with few versus many problems. Gamblers with many problems may interpret their arousal as a sign that they will soon lose money, while gamblers with few or no problems may associate feelings of arousal exclusively with winning.
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psychological distress, social support, family violence, and views about animal companions. Notable amongst the findings was an interaction between having experienced familial violence and living with an animal companion, and the impact of both on psychological distress and social support. The paper concludes by considering the implications of the
findings for better understanding the lives of people of diverse genders and/or sexualities.
Please refer to the usage guidelines at http://sure.sunderland.ac.uk/policies.html or alternatively contact sure@sunderland.ac.uk.
psychological distress, social support, family violence, and views about animal companions. Notable amongst the findings was an interaction between having experienced familial violence and living with an animal companion, and the impact of both on psychological distress and social support. The paper concludes by considering the implications of the
findings for better understanding the lives of people of diverse genders and/or sexualities.
Please refer to the usage guidelines at http://sure.sunderland.ac.uk/policies.html or alternatively contact sure@sunderland.ac.uk.