Despite its controversial nature, dissection remains a prevalent method of obtaining knowledge of the inner structures of animals. In the opinions of many, dissections are seen as being inherently fraught with ethical issues as well as eliciting feelings of fear and disgust in many students. However, many teachers get around these problems using alternative methods. This thesis examines a high school dissection of rainbow trout fish (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Questionnaires were distributed both before and after the dissection; variables of gender, as well as previous experience with dissection and home slaughtering were examined for the roles they played in the levels of student interest, moral opposition to dissection, and presence of negative emotions such as disgust. Furthermore, the QADS (questionnaire for the assessment of disgust sensitivity) was used to conduct additional measures on disgust sensitivity. Results indicated that high school students were more fond of traditional dissections rather than alternative methods. Gender played an important role in the expression of negative emotions, with female students expressing higher levels of disgust and fear. It was also determined that previous experience with dissections at school were associated with lower levels of expression of negative emotions as well as serving to increase both personal and situational interest. Experiences with home slaughter were not found to have significant influence on student attitudes towards dissection. Disgust sensitivity also was a major factor influencing student attitudes; those with a higher disgust sensitivity score tended to have more moral qualms with dissections and were more likely to express disgust and fear, while those with lower scores held more positive attitudes towards dissections and expressed higher levels of situational interest.
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