Anna Pörnbacher

Bio

I am a Ph.D. student at the Social Psychology Department researching empathy in human-animal relations.

With a background in social and health psychology (specifically in behavioral regulation, Utrecht University), I am interested in how people perceive, empathize, and interact with their social and natural environment. I aim to research how pro-social and pro-environmental attitudes and behavior can be promoted. With these objectives in mind I am interested in the theoretical foundations and practical implications of empathy.

Expertise

I am working with Dr. Jaeger, Dr. Erle, and Dr. Breugelmans to investigate the functioning of empathy towards humans and animals. In particular, we are conducting research on the relationship of empathy with attitudes towards animals (such as the moral standing of animals) as well as animal welfare outcomes (such as meat consumption). The aim of this research is to enhance understanding of how empathy operates and to inform to what extent it can be leveraged to engage the public in the advancement of animal welfare and reduction of meat consumption.


Besides conducting research, I am supervising theses and research projects. Additionally, I am active as a member of the PhD council of Tilburg School of Behavioral Sciences (TSB) and as PhD confidant.