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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Exploring Children’S Insights About Participating In Recreational Activities With Horses And Farm Animals: Social Emotional Experiences And Belief In Animal Mind, Christine Yvette Tardif-Williams, Renata P. S. Roma Nov 2022

Exploring Children’S Insights About Participating In Recreational Activities With Horses And Farm Animals: Social Emotional Experiences And Belief In Animal Mind, Christine Yvette Tardif-Williams, Renata P. S. Roma

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Research continues to shed light on the impact of children’s interactions with horses in equine-assisted, learning, and therapeutic contexts. However, we know relatively less about the impact of children’s recreational activities with horses and a diversity of farm animals. What is needed is research that explores how recreational programs involving activities with horses and farm animals are perceived by the child participants themselves. This pilot study sought to explore the insights of children who participated in a nine-week recreational program involving activities with horses and farm animals, with a focus on children’s social emotional experiences and belief in animal mind …


“My Companion Through The Pandemic”: The Importance Of The Human-Animal Bond During Covid-19, Christine Krouzecky, Jan Aden, Anastasiya Bunina, Katharina Hametner, Armin Klaps, Zuzana Kovacovsky, Nora Ruck, Birgit Ursula Stetina Sep 2022

“My Companion Through The Pandemic”: The Importance Of The Human-Animal Bond During Covid-19, Christine Krouzecky, Jan Aden, Anastasiya Bunina, Katharina Hametner, Armin Klaps, Zuzana Kovacovsky, Nora Ruck, Birgit Ursula Stetina

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

The COVID- 19 pandemic, due to its global biopsychosocial effects, encourages re-search regarding the promotion of health. Studies in this area concentrate on the human–animal bond as a source of physical and psychological well- being (Shoesmith et al., 2021). In this context, contradictory results have been reported, which on the one hand underline the positive influences of animal companionship on humans’ well- being (Ratschen et al., 2020), and on the other hand demonstrate contrary effects (Mueller et al., 2021). Based on inconsistent findings, the present study aimed to investigate to what extent the human–animal bond influences different psychosocial parameters (including …


Farmyard Animal Or Best Friend? Exploring Predictors Of Dog Vs. Pig Pet Speciesism, Sarah Gradidge, Magdalena Zawisza, Annelie J. Harvey, Daragh T. Mcdermott Sep 2022

Farmyard Animal Or Best Friend? Exploring Predictors Of Dog Vs. Pig Pet Speciesism, Sarah Gradidge, Magdalena Zawisza, Annelie J. Harvey, Daragh T. Mcdermott

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Despite dogs’ and pigs’ shared similarities, previous research indicates people favor dogs over pigs (known as “pet speciesism”). While pet speciesism has been empirically sup-ported, little is known about its predictors. This gap in the literature is problematic as urgent requirements to decrease meat consumption emphasize the pressing need to develop interventions to reduce pet speciesism and thus reduce meat consumption. However, to develop these interventions, we must first identify why people view pigs (vs. dogs) negatively. To begin addressing this gap, the current study utilized the stereotype content model to uniquely explore pet speciesism’s predictors. We recruited participants via …


Mothers’ Reflections On Cat Ownership For A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder During Covid-19, Saskia Keville, Sophia De Vita, Amanda K. Ludlow Jul 2022

Mothers’ Reflections On Cat Ownership For A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder During Covid-19, Saskia Keville, Sophia De Vita, Amanda K. Ludlow

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Animal- assisted interventions are increasingly used as a complementary therapy in clinical practice to support people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with promising outcomes compared to traditional therapies. Less is understood about the therapeutic benefits of more accessible and affordable small pet ownership for families with a child with ASD, alongside the pets’ welfare living in these homes. This study explored the experiences of cat ownership for young people with ASD from the perspective of their mothers during a time of transition generated by COVID-19. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six mothers and transcripts analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three …


Interactions Between Sex And Pet Ownership On Attitudes Toward Children, Aya Dudin, Mayra Linne Almanza-Sepulveda, Katherine T. Cost, Geoffrey B. Hall, Alison S. Fleming, Jonathan Freedman Jul 2022

Interactions Between Sex And Pet Ownership On Attitudes Toward Children, Aya Dudin, Mayra Linne Almanza-Sepulveda, Katherine T. Cost, Geoffrey B. Hall, Alison S. Fleming, Jonathan Freedman

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Background: Many people are attached to their pets. This attachment shares characteristics with the parental attachment to children. Previous studies have established a sex difference in attitudes about children; women compared to men report more positive attitudes about children. However, whether this sex difference is attenuated by owning and caring for pet(s) has not been investigated. Methods: In a sample of non-parents, we investigated the following: (1) whether the established main effect of sex on attitudes about children was moderated by pet ownership using a 2 (male, female) x 2 (pet owner, non–pet owner) design; and (2) whether the established …


A Mixed-Methods Assessment Of Human Well-Being Related To The Presence Of Companion Animals During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Bindi Bennett, Suzie Cosh, Jack Thepsourinthone, Amy Lykins Apr 2022

A Mixed-Methods Assessment Of Human Well-Being Related To The Presence Of Companion Animals During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Bindi Bennett, Suzie Cosh, Jack Thepsourinthone, Amy Lykins

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

COVID-19 and the measures used to curb the pandemic (e.g., lockdowns, isolation) have significantly impacted mental health and well-being. This study sought to investigate the role of companion animals in alleviating stress and improving mental health during the pandemic. In this study, 250 Australian adults completed measures of well-being and life satisfaction, animal dependency, perceived emotional support from animals, and animals’ effect on mood. Employment and living with others were the strongest predictors of positive life satisfaction and well-being, while greater dependency on companion animals for emotional support and companion animals’ negative effects on mood were associated with reduced life …


Not So Different As Cats And Dogs: Companionship During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Shelly Volsche, Elizabeth Johnson Jan 2022

Not So Different As Cats And Dogs: Companionship During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Shelly Volsche, Elizabeth Johnson

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

COVID- 19 lockdown provided a unique, in situ opportunity to probe caretaker experiences of living with companion animals during a stressful event. We launched an online survey in the United States that included standard demographic questions, questions related to household structures, and 25 Likert scale questions that probed perceptions of whether and how respondents’ relationships changed during social isolation. This paper uses a subset of that data specific to dog and cat guardians. A principal components analysis and Mann-Whitney U test returned no significant differences between cat and dog guardians on three scales (Scale 1: Psychological Well-being, Scale 2: …