Social robots are being used increasingly across a range of settings, including in the context of therapeutic interactions with children. While research has shown that interaction with live therapy dogs can be calming and enjoyable for children, it is currently unclear whether social robots can produce similar outcomes. In this study, 11–12-year old children completed a questionnaire about their biophilic beliefs and attitudes to dogs and robots before engaging in two separate free-play, non-goal directed, non-therapeutic sessions with an interactive biomimetic MiRo-E robot and a living therapy dog in a controlled setting. Behavioural observations of social interaction, initiation and reaction behaviours by the child and dog/robot showed that participants spent a similar amount of time engaging in positive social touch with the robot and the dog, but overall more time interacting with the robot. This may be because the robot was more responsive to the children’s initiation behaviours. In self-report, participants significantly preferred the session with the living dog. However, overall enjoyment was high and more positive emotions were reported following interaction with the robot. The more participants attributed mental attributes and animacy to the dog/robot, the more they enjoyed the interactions, demonstrating that participants’ animistic beliefs were an important factor in their evaluations. Levels of social interaction did not correlate with enjoyment, suggesting that the nature of the interaction was less important than pre-existing participant attitudes in producing reported positive outcomes. Although there were some differences in behaviour and evaluations, these preliminary results suggest that MiRo-E provides a useful comparison to therapy dogs and may be a suitable alternative for use in interventions with children.
Research has shown that reading to a dog can positively impact both reading attainment and attitude to reading in school children, however, most research to date has focussed on primary school-aged children (4-11 years). In this study we use a series of comparisons to assess the immediate effects of reading to a dog versus a teacher on reading performance, reading motivation and mood, in low attainment secondary school-aged students. Twenty participants, aged 11-12 years, were given four reading sessions in which they were asked to read to a dog for 5 minutes and to a teacher for 5 minutes, in a counterbalanced order. The final session was recorded and measures of reading performance were coded. Students were significantly more fluent, improved the pacing and showed better reading behaviour (such as confidence and posture) when reading to the dog compared to when reading to the teacher. Participants also reported experiencing more positive emotions and fewer negative emotions when reading to a dog compared to teacher. However, an Attitudes to Reading questionnaire revealed no significant differences in scores immediately following reading to the dog versus the teacher. Children were also asked to explain how they felt about reading to the dog (the positive and negative aspects). Thematic analysis revealed insights into the experience of participants, including emotional benefits, the impact of the therapy dog herself, and changes in attitude towards reading. This study suggests that when reading to a dog compared to a teacher, benefits can be direct and immediate, and can include better reading performance, increased motivation and more positive mood. Importantly, this study also indicates that reading to dogs can have a beneficial effect for this demographic in secondary schools.
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