Looking Forward in Human-Animal Intergroup Relations Research

Research on human relations with other animals raises distinctive challenges for psy chological science.Few other areas of psychological research are as closely tied to realworld, normalised systems of harm and institutionalised practices of animal exploitation and consumption.The implications of research in the field of human-animal relations therefore extend well beyond theory, methodological novelty, or empirical discovery.Innovative insights and new findings in this field have the potential to inform practition ers, policymakers, organisations, and animal advocates seeking to reduce animal product consumption, combat animal suffering, promote environmental sustainability, and build resilient movements and communities.Conversely, conceptual confusion, methodological weaknesses, or research that is insufficiently connected to real-world contexts may undermine these aims, rendering findings irrelevant at best, or inadvertently hindering progress at worst.As such, progress in the field depends not only on asking the right questions, but on using conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches that are suited to the complexity and real-world stakes of human attitudes and behaviour toward other animals.This special section of Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations brings to gether four commentary articles that each identify a conceptual, methodological, or empirical gap that currently limits cumulative progress in the field, and in doing so constrains its practical relevance.Rather than reporting new findings or offering defini tive solutions, the contributions aim to articulate conceptual problems, sharpen critical thinking, and serve as starting points for discussions and collaborations, while outlining