Changing Human Behavior to Improve Animal Welfare: A Longitudinal Investigation of Training Laboratory Animal Personnel about Heterospecific Play or “Rat Tickling”

Animals

MargueriteE. O’Haire¹  ColleenM. Brady²  BriannaN. Gaskill³  Sylvie Cloutier⁴  MeganR. LaFollette⁵ 

[1] Center for the Human-Animal Bond, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;Department of Agricultural Sciences Education & Communication, College of Agriculture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;Independent Scientist, Ottawa, ON, Canada;The North American 3Rs Collaborative, 251 Ballardvale, Wilmington, MA 01887, USA;

关键词: animal welfare;    rat tickling;    laboratory rats;    human-animal interaction;    heterospecific play;    theory of planned behavior;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ani10081435

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Despite evidence for rat tickling’s animal welfare benefits, the technique is rarely implemented in part because of a lack of training. This study’s purpose was to determine the efficacy of online-only or online + hands-on training programs on key outcomes for rat tickling in comparison to a waitlist control condition. After completing a baseline survey, laboratory animal personnel currently working with rats in the United States were semi-randomized to receive online-only training (n = 30), online + hands-on training (n = 34), or waitlist control (n = 32). Participants received further surveys directly after training and 2 months later. Data were analyzed using general linear mixed models. At the 2-month follow-up compared to baseline, both training groups reported increased implementation, self-efficacy, knowledge, and familiarity of rat tickling while only the online + hands-on training participants reported increased control beliefs (while the waitlist group stayed the same). At the 2-month follow-up compared to the waitlist, hands-on training participants reported increased self-efficacy and familiarity with rat tickling. Overall, findings show that both online-only and online + hands-on training can improve key outcomes for rat tickling. Although online + hands-on training is slightly more effective, the interactive online-only training has the potential to improve widescale implementation of a welfare-enhancing technique.

【 授权许可】

Unknown