Changing Attitudes and Behaviours

Human relationships with other animals are often marked by a disconnect between animal-loving values and everyday practices. Many people express concern for animals, yet industrialised farming, meat consumption and persistently low welfare standards remain commonplace.

This research priority examines how people perceive, value and relate to non‑human animals across different contexts. Our researchers aim to support more informed and ethical decision-making and to bring real‑world practices into closer alignment with widely held concerns for animals.

Our work so far has focused on cultivated (lab-grown) meat, an alternative to conventional meat. We look at how this novel food is perceived by the public and how industry messaging influences those perceptions, particularly the role of messaging about animal sentience. A forthcoming project aims to explore perceptions of cultivated meat and other non-animal-derived products in the context of AI chatbots.

This priority area draws primarily on expertise in psychology and behavioural science, aiming to understand and shift public attitudes and behaviour to help animals.

Our work also considers the wider economic and political dimensions of human-animal relations, including a short LSE blog on non-stun animal slaughter, Professor Jonathan Birch’s ongoing work with the Animals in Science Committee, and a project exploring how animals can be integrated into economic modelling.

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