Thesis idea - anthropomorphism

[spookypony]

Hi there, just another thought! For your degree, is it required that you do a study involving questionnaires, or are you able to do a literature-based thesis? It strikes me that your topic is complex enough that simply collating previous research and digesting it is plenty for an undergraduate thesis!

Perhaps I'm showing the bias of a humanities scholar here, but I wonder if more could be gained from a really thorough exploration of this area of research, across several fields, before heading down the social-science methodology route.

On an aside, I think the question of how emotions or thoughts are attributed to horses in literarure and art would be very interesting.

 

[Wagtail]

Great idea, OP.

Regarding anthropomorphism, it always makes me laugh on here when people who are always denying that horses have any kind of higher emotions, say things like 'he's taking the pee' to describe a misbehaving horse.

 

[Littlelegs]

So true Wagtail!

 

[fburton]

Regarding anthropomorphism, it always makes me laugh on here when people who are always denying that horses have any kind of higher emotions, say things like 'he's taking the pee' to describe a misbehaving horse.

Hmm, I never know for sure whether they are using the phrase as shorthand to cover miscellaneous misbehaviour that doesn't have an obvious (to them) cause, or whether they really believe that horses are capable of the same kind of 'pee taking' as people.

 

[aldato_daz]

Not sure if it can be literature based solely, I will have to double check tomorrow.

Perhaps if I gave you my original title...

An investigation in to anthropomorphism and how this alters people's perceptions of equine behaviour and associated emotions.

Does that enlighten you as to what im trying to find out or am I completely waffling again??? :/

 

[fburton]

Fantastic subject.

You could shorten the title by omitting "and associated emotions" without losing anything (it's implicit that emotions will play a major role).

Also, "in to" -> "into".

Also, "this" -> "it".

Also, delete "people's" - redundant.

Sorry, I'm in proofreading mode.

 

[Tinypony]

I've pm'd you.

 

[aldato_daz]

Thank you fburton, thats a great help! Have you read the rest of this thread? On like my questionnaire, scale and images idea??