Examining animal abuse proclivity: The roles of personality traits and moral disengagement

Abstract

This study investigates the interrelationships between animal abuse proclivity, personality and moral disengagement to enhance our understanding animal abuse. A total of 201 participants were employed to examine these dimensions, with ages ranging from 18 to 81 years. Both Greek and English language versions of the measures were available for participants to choose. A path analysis indicated that higher moral disengagement was a significant predictor of animal abuse proclivity. Specifically, moral disengagement was associated with higher scores on the Animal Abuse Proclivity Scale (AAPS) subscales of Thrill and Power. Low Extraversion and low Intellect predicted higher scores on the Power and Thrill subscales, respectively, offering new insights into the complex role of these personality dimensions. Further, moral disengagement was predicted by lower Agreeableness and higher Neuroticism. The findings suggest that personality traits and moral disengagement are intricately linked to animal abuse proclivity, with distinct subscales of the AAPS providing deeper understanding. The study highlights the need for intervention programs focusing on enhancing empathy and moral reasoning to prevent animal abuse. These insights could inform societal and policy efforts towards reducing animal abuse and promoting more humane treatment of animals.