Influencing human behaviour to improve animal welfare

Challenges

Human behaviour is multifaceted and complex, with numerous individual, social and contextual factors underlying and driving what people do, when they do it and why. Critically, the application of social and human behavioural science methodologies to human behaviour change (HBC) is not well developed within animal welfare research. There is a lack of systematic and theory-driven research, and where interventions have been developed, there are deficiencies in their design, evaluation, and reporting.

Current efforts to influence human behaviour in relation to animal welfare largely rely on knowledge transfer and education activities, which have mixed success in encouraging the uptake of best practices. Such approaches do not fully address the complex psychological factors which are increasingly recognised to drive human behaviour. Further insights and methodologies are needed from the human behavioural and social sciences to effect further progress in understanding how HBC may benefit animal welfare best practice.

Questions

Solutions

We have selected specific case studies for their potential to address key welfare issues, encourage the uptake of better practices in animal welfare and address wider societal effects on welfare.

Management of painful procedures

Ruminant farmers routinely carry out management procedures such as tail docking, castration, and disbudding. Research indicates these procedures cause the animal pain. We are exploring why procedure usage persists and why mitigation approaches are not adopted.

Body Condition Scoring in the suckler beef herd 

Excessive or inadequate body condition in suckler cows has effects on calving ease and fertility. Previous research identified that a high percentage of Scottish beef cows calve at the wrong condition. Farmers are failing to supplement thin cows and unnecessarily supplementing overweight ones. The uptake of accurate Body Condition Scoring remains low. We are investigating why beef suckler farmers do, or do not, adopt condition scoring, the differences between adopters and non-adopters, and the underlying reasons contributing to (a lack of) adoption. New interventions will look to encourage farmers to do condition scoring.

The effect of using Qualitative Behavioural Assessment on stockperson behaviour

We are exploring how the use of QBA affects field staff and farmers’ attitudes towards different species; leads to a self-reported change in motivation and efforts to improve animal welfare; can be made more effective through the development of collaboratively produced information materials.

An educational intervention, using human behavioural science to enhance pig stock-person knowledge of enrichment

 We are designing an e-learning course to encourage behaviour change amongst stock people, vets, and agricultural students. This course aims to increase the use of pig enrichment, knowledge of new pig welfare codes and reduce the need to tail-dock to reduce tail-biting risk.

Farmer mental health and its interaction with animal welfare

Early detection of mental health issues in farmers might prevent deterioration in livestock care. We are interviewing farmers, inspectors, vets, advisors, haulage, and delivery drivers to identify and uncover potential indicators of mental health issues.

The framing of animal welfare in communication to stakeholders

We are investigating how animal welfare is currently communicated to stakeholders and assessing how common message frames influence stakeholders. We are designing a message-framing intervention to test the efficacy of specific welfare frames in influencing behaviour and advising on appropriate communication strategies.

Livestock-worrying and responsible dog ownership 

Livestock-worrying and responsible dog ownership: We are finding ways to reduce conflict between landowners and dog walkers. We are co-developing guidance and communications to prevent livestock worrying.

Public demand for animal welfare

Research demonstrates consumers’ intention to buy animal-friendly food products rarely translates into actual purchases. This project is:

• Using real market data to estimate the actual demand for animal welfare in Scotland
• Assessing how the demand for animal welfare in Scotland varies across different animal welfare labels
• Investigating the market factors driving public demand for animal welfare
• Assessing how demand and its determining factors vary across different groups of the Scottish population, as well as over time
• Assessing how consumers in Scotland trade-off animal welfare with other food attributes