Neural correlates for perception of companion animal photographs

Abstract

Anthrozoological neuroscience, which we propose as the use of neuroscience techniques to study human-animal interaction, may help to elucidate mechanisms underlying the associated psychological, physiological, and other purported health effects. This preliminary study investigates the neural response to animal photographs in pet owners and non-pet owners, and both attraction and attachment to companion animals as modulators of human perception of companion animal photographs. Thirty male participants, 15 "Pet Owners" (PO) and 15 "Non-Pet Owners" (NPO), viewed photographs of companion animals during functional MRI (fMRI) scans at 3 T and provided ratings of attraction to the animal species represented in the photographs. Fourteen subjects additionally submitted and viewed personal pet photographs during fMRI scans, and completed the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). PO exhibited greater activation than NPO during the viewing of animal photographs in areas of the insula, and frontal and occipital cortices. Moreover, ratings of attraction to animals correlated positively with neural activation in the cingulate gyrus, precentral gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and superior temporal gyrus during the viewing of representative photographs. For subjects with household pets, scores on the LAPS correlated positively with neural activation during the viewing of owned pet photographs in the precuneus, cuneus, and superior parietal lobule. Our preliminary findings suggest that human perception of companion animals involve the visual attention network, which may be modulated at the neural level by subjective experiences of attraction or attachment to animals. Our understanding of human-animal interactions through anthrozoological neuroscience may better direct therapeutic applications, such as animal-assisted therapy.

Youth and Pet Survivors: Exploring the Experiences of Pediatric Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant Patients in a Virtual Animal-Assisted Therapy Pen Pal Program

“…There is some evidence that supports the fact that looking at photos of pets may elicit the same neuroendocrine response as petting an animal. Using fMRI to measure neural responses to pet photographs, Hayama et al (2016) found a subjective component to the therapeutic effects of interacting with pets, likely a function of more than the physical presence or contact with the animal. A literature review (Borgi & Cirulli, 2016) addressed the role of facial cues, particularly cute, infantile "pet face" and the mechanisms underlying human-animal relationships, and found evidence of neuroendocrine regulation of the social bond between human and animals through oxytocin secretion when viewing facial images.…”

From automata to animate beings: the scope and limits of attributing socialness to artificial agents

“…Integrating findings and approaches from additional related fields stands to advance understanding of not only the factors that drive the attribution of socialness to artificial agents, but also the temporal dynamics. To this end, future work could benefit from considering work on human attachment and relationship formation, as well as the emerging field of human–animal interactions . Studies on these latter interactions not only provide converging evidence on behavioral and brain mechanisms of socialness attribution, but also can help us to understand how long‐term interaction with nonhuman agents shapes these attributions over time by studying pet owners versus nonpet owners .…”

“…To this end, future work could benefit from considering work on human attachment and relationship formation, as well as the emerging field of human–animal interactions . Studies on these latter interactions not only provide converging evidence on behavioral and brain mechanisms of socialness attribution, but also can help us to understand how long‐term interaction with nonhuman agents shapes these attributions over time by studying pet owners versus nonpet owners . Thus, thinking openly and creatively about how work from distinct but complementary disciplines might inform our understanding about humans’ evolving relationship with socially savvy technology.…”

From automata to animate beings: The scope and limits of attributing socialness to artificial agents

“…Integrating findings and approaches from additional related fields stands to advance understanding of not only the factors that drive the attribution of socialness to artificial agents, but also the temporal dynamics. To this end, future work could benefit from considering work on human attachment and relationship formation 171 , as well as the emerging field of human-animal interactions [172][173][174] . Studies on these latter interactions not only provide converging evidence on behavioural and brain mechanisms of socialness attribution 173 , but also can help us to understand how long-term interaction with non-human agents shapes these attributions over time by studying pet owners versus non-pet owners 172,174 .…”