Perspective-Taking toward Nonhuman Others: An Odor-Focused Environmental Education Program Promoting Anti-Anthropocentric Views

Abstract

  Recognizing the intrinsic value of the ecosystem is based on empathy toward nonhuman others. Perspective-taking to understand the world inhabited by nonhuman living things can be promoted through educational activities involving learners’ own sensory experiences. This study presents a practical example of such an activity, combined together with a role-play essay to visualize participants’ views of nonhuman others and the self. The activities increased learners’ interest in their senses and promoted perspective-taking toward nonhuman others in their role-play essays. Multivariate analyses revealed that the promotion of perspective-taking is associated with learners’ thinking of human/nonhuman relativization during the reflection process. The results also suggest that interventions encouraging learners’ reflection on their own context could further enhance the learning outcomes. This report provides a unique example of an environmental ethics education practice that cultivates and maintains an anti-anthropocentric perspective.