Carnivores Make Low Estimates of Animal Minds

Fitting in with our talk on vegetarianism and veganism, this article addressed a study which looked at people's perceptions of animals mental abilities and how it related to their meat consumption. A group of non-vegetarians were either assigned to a meat eating or a apple eating group. Before they ate, each person was asked to write an essay on the life cycle of a butchered animal and then rate the mental faculties of a sheep or a cow. Those assigned to eat the meat denied the animal could feel or suffer more often on average than the apple eating group. Researchers see the use of denial as normal in meat-eaters lives.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-carnivores-dilemma