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Self-Regulation Mediates Therapeutic Horseback Riding Social Functioning Outcomes in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder
| Contributor(s):: Peters, B. C., Pan, Z., Christensen, H., Gabriels, R. L.
Emerging evidence suggests therapeutic horseback riding improves self-regulation behaviors, social functioning, and language in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It has been theorized that interacting with horses is calming for youth with ASD, which may influence social and language...
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Functional Outcomes in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Middle-Aged and Older Adults with Schizophrenia
| Contributor(s):: Chen, C. R., Hung, C. F., Lee, Y. W., Tseng, W. T., Chen, M. L., Chen, T. T.
Deficits in cognition, physical, and social functions in adults with schizophrenia may become salient with aging. While animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can benefit physical function in older adults and improve symptoms of psychotic disorders, the effect of AAT on middle-aged patients with...
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A Treatment Plan for Dogs (Canis familiaris) That Show Impaired Social Functioning towards Their Owners
| Contributor(s):: Joke Monteny, Christel Palmyre Henri Moons
Many domestic dogs are uncomfortable when humans perform trivial and benign actions that the animals perceive as threatening. A common technique for addressing canine emotional discomfort involves desensitization, where the intensity of a problematic stimulus is gradually increased while the...
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Calm with horses? A systematic review of animal-assisted interventions for improving social functioning in children with autism
| Contributor(s):: Sissons, J. H., Blakemore, E., Shafi, H., Skotny, N., Lloyd, D. M.
The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of animal-assisted interventions on social functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder, based on evidence from randomized control trials. Included studies were articles published in English, with school aged children from 4 to...
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The impact of owning a hearing dog on quality of life, hearing handicap, and social functioning: an Australian cohort
| Contributor(s):: Singh, G., Driscoll, C., Pachana, N. A.
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Do rabbits need each other? Effects of single versus paired housing on rabbit body temperature and behaviour in a UK shelter
| Contributor(s):: Burn, C. C., Shields, P.
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Social buffering of stress – Physiological and ethological perspectives
| Contributor(s):: Wu, Alexandra
Research into the impact of sociality on stress has largely focused on social factors as stressors, but it is now well-known that the mere presence of a conspecific can reduce an animal’s stress – a phenomenon termed ‘social buffering’. Stress, in terms of...
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Effect of Equine-Assisted Activities on Social and Sensory Functioning of Children with Autism
| Contributor(s):: Drew C. Coman, Margaret P. Bass, Michael Alessandri, Christine S. Ghilain, Maria M. Llabre
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Pets, Social Participation, and Aging-in-Place: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
| Contributor(s):: Ann M. Toohey, Jennifer A. Hewson, Cindy L. Adams, Melanie J. Rock
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Physical, social, and psychological characteristics of community-dwelling elderly Japanese dog and cat owners
| Contributor(s):: Yu Taniguchi, Satoshi Seino, Mariko Nishi, Yui Tomine, Izumi Tanaka, Yuri Yokoyama, Hidenori Amano, Akihiko Kitamura, Shoji Shinkai
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Measuring the Social, Behavioral, and Academic Effects of Classroom Pets on Third and Fourth-Grade Students
| Contributor(s):: Amy McCullough, Ashleigh Ruehrdanz, Rachel Garthe, Cynthia Hellman, Marguerite O'Haire
Limited research has documented the benefits of animals for children's learning and development, with a growing number of elementary school teachers incorporating pets into their classrooms. This study assessed the social, behavioral, and academic effects of the presence of small, resident...
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Social context and other factors influence the behavioural expression of pain by lambs
| Contributor(s):: Guesgen, M. J., Beausoleil, N. J., Minot, E. O., Stewart, M., Stafford, K. J.
There is evidence that the presence of a conspecific can alter the experience of pain in humans and other animals. This ‘social buffering’ may be mediated by factors such as relatedness and familiarity. This study investigates whether and how the social context affects the behavioural response of...
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The effect of social buffering on fear responses in sheep (Ovis aries)
| Contributor(s):: González, Matilú, Averós, Xavier, Heredia, Ina Beltrán de, Ruiz, Roberto, Arranz, Josune, Estevez, Inma
Fear in farm animals has been extensively studied because of its close relation to animal welfare. Numerous studies have categorized the behavioral responses of animals to stimuli that can elicit a fear reaction under social isolation conditions. However, farm animals are highly social and...
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Friends with benefits: Social support and its relevance for farm animal welfare
| Contributor(s):: Rault, Jean-Loup
Despite growing interest in promoting positive welfare, rather than just alleviating poor welfare, potential measures of good welfare, and means to provide it, have remained elusive. In humans social support improves stress-coping abilities, health, and promotes positive psychological welfare....
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The Impact of a Horse Riding Intervention on the Social Functioning of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
| Contributor(s):: Harris, A., Williams, J. M.
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Man's Best Friend: Examining Social Functions of Dogs' in the Lives of Humans
| Contributor(s):: Emily J. Sterling
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The social neuroscience of human-animal interaction
| Contributor(s):: Freund, Lisa S., McCune, Sandra, Esposito, Layla, Gee, Nancy R., McCardle, Peggy
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Brief report: The effects of equine-assisted activities on the social functioning in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder
| Contributor(s):: Anderson, Sophie, Meints, Kerstin
Equine-assisted activities and therapies are increasing in popularity for treatment of ASD symptoms. This research evaluated effects of a 5-week programme of therapeutic riding on social functioning of children/adolescents (N = 15) with ASD. The effectiveness of the programme was...
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Guns, explosives, and puppy dog tails: The social function of animal cruelty
| Contributor(s):: Goodney-Lea, Suzanne R.
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All the lizards stand and say "Yes Yes Yes" : the element of play in legal actions against animals and inanimate objects
| Contributor(s):: Anna Pervukhin
Legal actions against non-humans (whether animals or objects) were once widespread. They were viewed seriously and undoubtedly served important social functions. This article considers the possibility that some of these actions may have been playful as well. Certain aspects of legal actions...
