What Sparks Change in Our View of Animals? PHAIR 2025 with Dr. Matti Wilks and Dr Luke McGuire
- Marika
- May 28
- 3 min read
The Conference's Core Mission The PHAIR Conference, short for Psychology for Human Animal
Intergroup Relations, serves as a melting pot for research and advocacy. Dr. Wilks emphasizes the conference's aim to intertwine academic research with animal advocacy practices, fostering an environment where breakthroughs in one area inspire meaningful advancements in the other. It's about finding out what truly motivates change in human behavior towards animals. Dr. McGuire echoes this sentiment, acknowledging the complexity of human cognitive biases and how they shape our interactions with animals.
The Expanding Moral Circle An expanding moral circle is a central theme during these discussions, a concept explored by both Dr. McGuire and Dr. Wilks. They discuss how societal advancements and increased awareness have gradually widened our circle of empathy. The idea is straightforward: as humans become more connected and informed, their moral obligations extend beyond just their immediate familial and social circles to include non-human animals. Dr. Wilks notes the importance of understanding this expansion, highlighting Peter Singer's influential work which set the groundwork for these discussions.
Bridging Gaps: Knowledge and Advocacy A compelling case is made for using quality research to support advocacy movements. Dr. Wilks passionately argues that when you seek to affect real-world change, the validity and reliability of your research become paramount. In her view, inaccurate findings serve no one, rendering any supposed advocacy derived from them ineffective at best. Dr. McGuire supports this, noting that while inherent biases exist, the ultimate aim should always be an objective understanding of the issues at hand.
Alternative Paths: Beyond Preaching In terms of methodology, there's a shared understanding that rigid preaching may not convince the masses. Dr. McGuire critiques traditional methods of advocacy that might alienate rather than engage. He believes that offering practical, easily accessible alternatives is more likely to facilitate change. Such alternatives often resonate better with people when they seamlessly integrate into current lifestyles without drastic upheavals.
Looking Forward The conversation included exciting insights into the future directions of research and advocacy. As Dr. Wilks plans for the conference, she highlights the diverse range of topics from animal welfare and legal protections to the rapidly progressing industry of meat alternatives. The intersection of cultural beliefs and animal advocacy, particularly in non-Western contexts, promises to offer rich discussion points. This year, contributions from various parts of the globe will emphasize cultural considerations that are often overlooked in Western-centric studies.
This exchange with Dr. Wilks, Dr. McGuire, and myself reiterates the critical intersection where psychology meets animal advocacy. This knowledge is not just for academics but for anyone eager to contribute to a world where compassion extends beyond species boundaries.
Show Notes:
Special Episode: Psychology for Human Animal Intergroup relations. PHAIR 2025 Register!
Guests: Dr Matti Wilks is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Edinburgh. She completed her PhD at the University of Queensland, Australia, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton and Yale Universities. She is generally interested in morality and related things. Her research mostly focuses on the moral circle and moral development, with a particular focus on moral concern for distant others (distant people, non-human animals, AI) and the motivations of unusually altruistic individuals. She also examines perceptions of AI, attitudes towards cultured meat, and the natural-is-better bias.
Dr Luke McGuire is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Exeter. His research focuses on social and moral development, with a particular focus on development in middle childhood and adolescence across a range of contexts where moral concerns conflict with social norms. Most recently, his research has come to focus on children’s and adolescents’ moral judgments about the treatment of non-human animals. This work has been published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Child Development, and Social Psychological and Personality Science.
Book Recommendations
Matti's Rec: The Ethics of What We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter by Peter Singer and Jim Mason
Luke's Rec: Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guinn
Other Conference Coverage (first episodes):
Want to Sponsor a series or need a conference covered? Marika@anthrozoo.com
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