Contact with Nature Enhances Human Perception of the Moral Status of Animals: The Mediating Role of Materialism and Mind Perception

Humans and animals have a natural interdependence in nature. Animals play a significant role in maintaining ecological balance and promoting human civilization. With the development of social cognition, human attitudes towards animals have shifted from instrumental rationality to ethical concern. Exploring the perception of animal moral status has become a key to achieving harmonious coexistence among humans, animals, and nature. Current research mostly analyzes relevant influencing factors from the perspectives of animal intrinsic characteristics and social culture, but it fails to fully consider the role of the ecological environment. Therefore, in the future, studies should investigate the impact of natural contact on human perception of animal moral status, the willingness to rescue stray animals, and its psychological mechanism.