Changing Human Behavior to Improve Animal Welfare: A Longitudinal Investigation of Training Laboratory Animal Personnel about Heterospecific Play or "Rat Tickling".

ABSTRACT: Despite evidence for rat tickling's animal welfare benefits, the technique is rarely implemented in part because of a lack of training. This study's purpose was to determine the efficacy of online-only or online + hands-on training programs on key outcomes for rat tickling in comparison to a waitlist control condition. After completing a baseline survey, laboratory animal personnel currently working with rats in the United States were semi-randomized to receive online-only training (n = 30), online + hands-on training (n = 34), or waitlist control (n = 32). Participants received further surveys directly after training and 2 months later. Data were analyzed using general linear mixed models. At the 2-month follow-up compared to baseline, both training groups reported increased implementatio

SUBMITTER: LaFollette MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7459457 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature