01604nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653001900054653001900073653001900092653002700111100001900138700001900157700001800176245009500194856007200289300001100361490000800372520099200380022001401372       2024                            d  c2024-0910aAnimal-testing10aCategorization10aDenial of mind10aHuman-animal relations1 aKevin Vezirian1 aLaurent Bègue1 aBrock Bastian00aMindless furry test-tubes: Categorizing animals as lab-subjects leads to their mind denial  uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103124000416  a1046290 v1143 aDespite caring for animals, most people use products tested on lab-animals daily, and rarely consider the implications of their choices for animal testing. We experimentally examined across four preregistered and high-powered online studies (total N = 3405) whether categorizing animals as being lab-subjects, in a context where people are also reminded of the implications of their own consumer choices, could lead to their mind denial. Findings confirmed that participants consistently denied mind to animals used for product testing compared to those same animals presented outside of this context. Manipulating the perceived suffering experienced by laboratory animals and the responsibility of individuals, however, did not affect the extent of mind denial. Our findings suggest, consistent with previous work, that categorizing animals as ‘furry test-tubes’ changes how we perceive them, in order to rationalize their use for testing the products we consume on a daily basis.  a0022-1031