MACOMB, IL – Her fascination with a pet parrot and her academic study of anthropology have inspired Western Illinois University Associate Professor Patricia Anderson to study the human-avian bond.
As a result, she has recently published a groundbreaking study of her research in the multidisciplinary academic journal, "Anthrozoös," which is published by the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) and Bloomsbury Publishing of London. Anthrozoology is the interdisciplinary study of human-animal interactions, which began about 30 years ago at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
In addition to having her work published in "Anthrozoös," Anderson is a co-editor of the journal. She is also one of the few anthropologists in the world who studies the human-avian bond.
"There are many anthrozoological studies of pet keeping, but most of these focus on dogs and cats," Anderson said. "Although birds are among the most popular companion animals kept in the United States, little research has been devoted to them."
Anderson added that according to the 2013-2014 survey by the American Pet Products Association, 6.9 million households own an estimated 20.6 million birds.
Anderson's interest in the human-avian studies began shortly after she joined the faculty of WIU. She said she "chattered so relentlessly" about her new pet parrot that a colleague encouraged her to "do something scholarly with it."
Through her research, Anderson has carried out two electronic surveys of bird owners, resulting in the collection of hundreds of responses, which she said left her "stunned."
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