Episode 4 examines the tension and opportunity where animal-advocacy goals and research on the psychology of eating animals overlap, drawing on conversations from the PHAIR conference. Researchers and advocates discuss credibility, bias, conflicts of interest, and “epistemic pollution” in a climate of distrust, including how carnism can be treated as invisible ideology and how advocacy incentives may shape interpretation of findings. The episode also highlights a mismatch in urgency—advocates want rapid change while science moves slowly—and the need to make research accessible, relevant, and collaborative so it can be used off the page.
This episode features:
Joshua Rottman — Associate professor of psychology. Studies moral reasoning, human–animal relations, and how people reconcile beliefs about harm with everyday behaviour.
Tobias Leenaert — Author and strategist focused on pragmatic, evidence‑based advocacy. Known for promoting incremental change, cultural sensitivity, and long‑term movement strategy.
Brooke Haggerty — Executive Director of Faunalytics. Works at the intersection of research and advocacy, helping organisations use data to design more effective interventions and understand public attitudes toward animals.
Jared Piazza — Senior lecturer in social psychology. Researches moral judgement, meat consumption, and the psychological mechanisms people use to justify animal use.
Ondine Sherman — Author and co‑founder of Voiceless. Works on compassionate education, narrative change, and the emotional dimensions of advocacy.
Sue O’Neill — Crisis‑support practitioner and applied researcher. Brings frontline insight into how people make decisions under pressure and how advocacy organisations can better support them.
Matthew Ruby — Psychologist and researcher whose work explores moral cognition, food choices, and the psychology of eating animals. Studies how cultural norms and identity shape dietary behaviour and openness to change.
Chris Hopwood — Professor of psychology specialising in personality and interpersonal behaviour. Examines how people navigate moral conflict, identity, and the tensions between caring about animals and everyday habits.
Related Links:
PHAIR Society A biannual gathering of researchers and advocates focused on human–animal intergroup relations, moral psychology, and behaviour change.
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