For @psychologytoday.com I wrote about the new innate health assessment for dogs and how it can help people choose a healthy dog or puppy (for puppies, assess both parents). It's a simple checklist and a score of 8 out of 10 is a pass www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fell...

New research on cultural and individual differences in biophilia undercut the idea that humans have an innate need to affiliate with nature. Rather, biophilia is a trait, with individual differences roughly 50% due to genetic influences @psychologytoday.com www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...

Can people be too attached to their pets? Results of over 100 human-animal bond studies suggest the answer is yes. My latest for @psychologytoday.com www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...

Despite their genetic problems, French Bulldogs are now the most popular purebred dog breed in the US and the UK. A new study examines the causes of the growing popularity of "flat-faced" breeds and the consequences for animal welfare. @psychologytoday.com www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...

I really enjoyed reading @halherzog.bsky.social’s Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat. It’s a fascinating look about how we think about animals, with the only agenda being, yeah, none of us are rational. As a zookeeper, I felt like I had more I could contribute as well.

Was George Orwell right when he wrote, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others?" Here's the evidence from behavioral economics. @psychologytoday.com www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...

A nice overview of research on why children and adults think differently about the treatment of animals. @phair-society.bsky.social phairsociety.org/2025/02/10/w...

Surprise...Despite media claims, dog ownership in the United States has risen only slightly since 1950. @wellbeingintl.bsky.social wellbeingintl.org/dog-populati...

I have been critical of some of the studies on the impact of pets on the health and well-being of their owners. But this new study is a good one. @psychologytoday.bsky.social www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...

Ouch...large metanalysis finds no evidence of equity aversion in non-human animals. Thanks @stevestuwill.bsky.social royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

I'm not sure what to make of this, but it looks interesting - using machine learning models to predict adult dogs' personalities from their behavior as puppies.

From the archives -- does giving up meat change your friendships? @psychologytoday.com www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/an...

We are just beginning to see the deadly spillover effects of the COVID pandemic as Republican support for childhood vaccinations has plummeted to 26%! We explain how we got here, where it's going, and what we can do to help stop it: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-polari...

Quite a long article, but very interesting. And hitting close to home too,having 2 #autoimmune diseases and taking one of the drugs mentionned 😔 #autoimmunelife #disabledvegan #chronicallyill #immunosuppressed

I've got a new post at Psychology Today

A new study looked at the relationship between cats' social behavior toward humans and their ability to solve a puzzle feeder! Read about what the researchers found on my blog!! Link in bio/linktree or whatyourcatwants.com/do-social-ca...

Yet another epidemiological study supports "the pet effect paradox." Pet ownership was not linked to better mental health. Cat ownership was associated with increased loneliness in men, and women with dogs had lower life satisfaction. www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/14...

Surprise! "The current study indicates human–pet play does not contribute to the ‘pet effect’ nor social buffering, thus raising questions for future research regarding the exact purpose of play within the human–pet relationship." www.mdpi.com/2813-9372/1/...

“Natural selection isn't something that just happens to organisms,” she says. “They have capacity in that process. So, it’s a bit of a reframing of what we think to be true about nature.” gsas.harvard.edu/news/new-tak...

Why do humans have language? 🗣️ @mcgill.ca PhD student Gabriel Blanco Gomez explores how #genetics, #neuroscience & #culture shape human communication. Discover what makes our #language unique—and why it's one of science's greatest mysteries! 🧪🌟 Watch now: youtu.be/0hnktq_VH1s?... #AcademicSky

New paper on using talking buttons w/dogs (but cats too): "although well intentioned and playful, this approach...runs the risk of replacing the ways that dogs truly communicate with people, such as barking and whining, with an infantile form of human communication" mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/22/3272

Very excited to share new research out in Anthrozoös looking at how pet ownership may impact family involvement in sports and other activities using the #ABCD Dataset. Free ePrint here for anyone interested: www.tandfonline.com/eprint/K7KN7... #HAI #Pets

A study of 15,000 students suggests recent increases in vegetarianism have been limited to women. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...