For Pits’ Sake
Effect of Breed Labels on Perceptions of Shelter Dog Attractiveness
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12418675 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kate Weseley-Jones (North Shore High School Sea Cliff, NY USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 328-341 |
| Publication date | 2022-09-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Society and Animals (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1063-1119 • E-ISSN: 1568-5306 |
| Publisher | Brill (PUBLISHER • NL) |
| DOI | 10.1163/15685306-bja10033 |
| OpenAlex | W4294219578 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 5 |
Pit bulls are the most common type of dog found in shelters, and negative perceptions of their temperament are believed to reduce their likelihood of adoption. Two experiments investigated the effects of breed label on perceptions of shelter dog attractiveness. The first experiment recruited 176 participants to rate the attractiveness of a dog labeled either a Pit Bull or Mixed Breed. The second study added an unlabeled condition and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier condition, and recruited 257 participants. While the Pit Bull was rated significantly less attractive than the Mixed Breed in Experiment 1, in Experiment 2, the Mixed Breed was rated the least attractive and significantly less so than the dog in the unlabeled condition. In addition, both experiments demonstrated that younger people viewed the dog as more attractive than older people. Given the conflicting results regarding breed labels, further research is necessary
Animal science · Attraction · Attractiveness · Biology · Breed · Perception · Personality · Sociology · Temperament · Veterinary medicine · Demography · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Medicine · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment · Social Psychology
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |