Welfare Science

Animal Welfare Science Communication Effectiveness

Research on effective animal welfare science communication helps advocates reach diverse audiences more effectively, with evidence on what messages, messengers, and media drive behaviour change.

Key Facts

Economic arguments resonate more with industry audiences than moral appeals
Undercover video footage has been shown to be particularly effective at changing public attitudes
Positive framing of plant-based options outperforms negative framing of meat
Trusted messengers including veterinarians and farmers are more persuasive than NGOs with some audiences
Social norms messaging about what others are doing can be effective for behaviour change

Welfare Considerations

Evidence-based science communication for animal welfare applies research on persuasion, attitude change, and behaviour change to improve advocacy effectiveness. Using the right message for each audience and messenger significantly improves welfare advocacy outcomes.

What You Can Do

Adapt your welfare messaging to your audience using evidence on what works
Support organisations that apply communications research to animal welfare advocacy
Engage with effective altruism for animals resources on evidence-based advocacy