Prato-Previde Emanuela, Basso Ricci Elisa, Colombo Elisa Silvia
Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.
Associazione Asino Anch'io, 20080 Basiglio, Italy.
Animals (Basel). 2022 Oct 19;12(20):2835. doi: 10.3390/ani12202835.
The human-animal relationship is ancient, complex and multifaceted. It may have either positive effects on humans and animals or poor or even negative and detrimental effects on animals or both humans and animals. A large body of literature has investigated the beneficial effects of this relationship in which both human and animals appear to gain physical and psychological benefits from living together in a reciprocated interaction. However, analyzing the literature with a different perspective it clearly emerges that not rarely are human-animal relationships characterized by different forms and levels of discomfort and suffering for animals and, in some cases, also for people. The negative physical and psychological consequences on animals' well-being may be very nuanced and concealed, but there are situations in which the negative consequences are clear and striking, as in the case of animal violence, abuse or neglect. Empathy, attachment and anthropomorphism are human psychological mechanisms that are considered relevant for positive and healthy relationships with animals, but when dysfunctional or pathological determine physical or psychological suffering, or both, in animals as occurs in animal hoarding. The current work reviews some of the literature on the multifaceted nature of the human-animal relationship; describes the key role of empathy, attachment and anthropomorphism in human-animal relationships; seeks to depict how these psychological processes are distorted and dysfunctional in animal hoarding, with highly detrimental effects on both animal and human well-being.
人类与动物的关系源远流长、复杂多样且涉及多个方面。它可能对人类和动物产生积极影响，也可能对动物或人类与动物双方产生不良甚至负面及有害的影响。大量文献研究了这种关系的有益影响，在这种关系中，人类和动物似乎都能从相互的互动中共同生活而获得身体和心理上的益处。然而，从不同角度分析这些文献时，很明显可以看出，人与动物的关系中不乏以动物不同形式和程度的不适与痛苦为特征的情况，在某些情况下，人类也会如此。对动物福祉的负面生理和心理影响可能非常细微且隐蔽，但在动物暴力、虐待或忽视等情况下，负面后果是明显且惊人的。同理心、依恋和拟人化是人类心理机制，被认为与人类和动物建立积极健康的关系相关，但当这些机制功能失调或出现病态时，就会像在动物囤积症中那样，给动物带来生理或心理上的痛苦，或两者皆有。当前的研究回顾了一些关于人类与动物关系多面性的文献；描述了同理心、依恋和拟人化在人类与动物关系中的关键作用；试图描绘这些心理过程在动物囤积症中是如何扭曲和功能失调的，以及对动物和人类福祉造成的极其有害的影响。
