June 23, 2025, 3:49 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
How people perceive animals can vary greatly. This difference is not only from person to person but also across cultures. While some treat animals like family members, others maintain an emotional distance. A new study reveals the roles that education, religion, environment, and personal experiences play in these perceptions.
For many pet owners, their pet is a full-fledged family member–they often even attribute human characteristics to it. The extent of this anthropomorphism depends on various factors, including cultural background, religion, and upbringing. This is shown by an international study from the University of Leipzig.1
Study examines how we perceive animals
The cat withdraws because it is “offended,” although it simply wants peace. The parrot is “cheeky,” although it only repeats conditioned responses. Such examples show how animals–whether domestic or wild–are often attributed human emotions. This phenomenon is also known as “anthropomorphism.” Here, human traits are ascribed to animal behavior, which can significantly influence the perception of certain species.
Since this perception also plays a role in species conservation, a cross-cultural study compiled various influences that can affect this behavior. A total of 741 adults from Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, and Spain were surveyed. The questionnaire included factors such as:
- formal education (school degree)
- direct animal experience (e.g., with monkeys)
- urban animal experience (pets, zoos, media use)
- religious background
- degree of social integration
- personal mindset (community-oriented or individually oriented)
- age, gender, income
The study examined which factors influence how strongly people attribute traits like consciousness, empathy, or emotions to animals. The focus was primarily on monkeys, whose behavior was assessed by participants through a questionnaire. It was also recorded whether they are perceived as physically similar to humans, whether they feel pain, deceive others, or can morally distinguish between good and evil.
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How religion and upbringing influence our view of animals
The study shows: The extent to which people attribute human characteristics to animals is shaped by various influences. It was found that individuals with lower educational attainment more often attribute free will to animals–perhaps because they lack the knowledge to interpret animal behavior objectively, as the researchers suspect.
Direct contact with animals also plays a crucial role. Those who have had negative experiences often judged these animals more critically and attributed deception or intent to them, but less often pain. Conversely, contact with animals in urban environments, such as through pets, zoo visits, or animal figures in films, fosters emotional closeness.
Hindus and Buddhists were significantly more likely to attribute human characteristics to animals
Religion also influenced how people perceive animals. Participants with a monotheistic faith like Christianity or Islam were less likely to attribute traits such as consciousness, emotions, pain, or the ability to deceive to animals. It was different for followers of Hinduism or Buddhism: They were significantly more likely to attribute human characteristics to animals.
The social environment also affected animal perception. People with few social contacts or strong community thinking were more likely to anthropomorphize animals. Additionally, the animal species itself played an important role in the assessment: The more similar an animal is to humans, such as monkeys, the more often feelings, thoughts, or intentions were attributed to it. This was particularly evident with emotions like fear or joy, while complex feelings like shame or guilt were less frequently recognized.
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Significance for species conservation
The study shows: Emotions, culture, and social environment shape which animals we want to protect–especially when we attribute feelings or consciousness to them. Less “cute” species quickly fall by the wayside. These insights can be used to design conservation campaigns and educational work more effectively.2