Pet Face: Mechanisms Underlying Human-Animal Relationships

Borgi, Marta; Cirulli, Francesca

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00298

Cited by 101 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 129 publications

(168 reference statements)

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“…The morphological cues typical of puppies (the 'baby schema') may thus constitute a reinforcing releaser. This effect of the 'baby schema' could be further tested by assessing if people also change their speech pattern depending on the neotenic level of adult dogs, which varies among breeds [32].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dog-directed speech: why do we use it and do dogs pay attention to it?

et al. 2017

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Pet-directed speech is strikingly similar to infant-directed speech, a peculiar speaking pattern with higher pitch and slower tempo known to engage infants' attention and promote language learning. Here, we report the first investigation of potential factors modulating the use of dog-directed speech, as well as its immediate impact on dogs' behaviour. We recorded adult participants speaking in front of pictures of puppies, adult and old dogs, and analysed the quality of their speech. We then performed playback experiments to assess dogs' reaction to dog-directed speech compared with normal speech. We found that human speakers used dog-directed speech with dogs of all ages and that the acoustic structure of dog-directed speech was mostly independent of dog age, except for sound pitch which was relatively higher when communicating with puppies. Playback demonstrated that, in the absence of other non-auditory cues, puppies were highly reactive to dog-directed speech, and that the pitch was a key factor modulating their behaviour, suggesting that this specific speech register has a functional value in young dogs. Conversely, older dogs did not react differentially to dog-directed speech compared with normal speech. The fact that speakers continue to use dog-directed with older dogs therefore suggests that this speech pattern may mainly be a spontaneous attempt to facilitate interactions with non-verbal listeners.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dog-directed speech: why do we use it and do dogs pay attention to it?

et al. 2017

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“…30,31 Dogs might be able to directly provide relevant emotional and social support, since humans establish meaningful relationships with animals 32,33 and, for many people, animals are a highly emotionally relevant stimulus. 34 This might be a mechanism underlying the here documented effects of DAT, since studies have illustrated that personally and emotionally relevant stimuli induce higher-level activation in DOC patients with disorders of consciousness. 35,36 The high motivation to interact with an animal might also be based on the fact that caregiving is a core need of humans and forms a central part within attachment theory.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Dog-Assisted Therapy in Neurorehabilitation of Children with Severe Neurological Impairment: An Explorative Study

et al. 2020

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Background Dog-assisted therapy (DAT) is increasingly applied in neurorehabilitation of patients with severe neurological impairments. To date, there are only anecdotal reports investigating its effects. Objectives This study was aimed to evaluate the potential of DAT in pediatric inpatient neurorehabilitation for severely neurologically impaired children and adolescents, to identify characteristics of patients receiving this therapy, characteristics of the therapy sessions, and to evaluate feasibility and extent of goal achievement. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 850 DAT sessions performed between 2010 and 2017 at an inpatient neurorehabilitation center. The dataset included 196 children and adolescents (Md = 5.50, 0.58–20.33 years) suffering from severe neurological impairments (disorders of consciousness in 37 patients) of various etiologies. We extracted information regarding patient and session characteristics, analyzed the predefined goals with content analysis, and examined to what extent the goals were met during DAT. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Patients received an average of 4.34 therapy sessions. A total of 247 of 392 predefined goals (63%) were reached during DAT. The most frequently achieved goal was “enhancing fun” (83%), followed by “establishing contact and communication” (81%), and “relaxation” (71%). Only one critical incident regarding the dogs' safety occurred. Conclusion DAT is a feasible approach and appears to facilitate emotional, social, and psychological goals in children and adolescents with severe neurological impairment.

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“…However, pet dogs are considered to retain puppy-like features into adulthood. People perceive these neotonous features as aesthetically pleasing or "cute" and those features are associated with longer gaze times as well as the release of oxytocin (see Borgi & Cirulli, 2016 for a review). In the current study, when the participants looked at the dog, they may have done so because they find the dog to be "cute" and they may experience a corresponding increase in oxytocin levels.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship of Behavioral Interactions during an Animal-assisted Intervention in Assisted Living to Health-related Outcomes

et al. 2019

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In recent research involving assisted-living residents with mild to moderate cognitive impairment, a structured 12-week Pet Assisted Living (PAL) intervention led to improved physical activity (PA) and mood. Receipt of intervention is important to the efficacy of behavioral interventions. We assessed the behavioral interactions (BIs: looking at, talking to, touching, giving treats to, brushing, and walking the dog) of residents during PAL intervention sessions and evaluated their relationships to changes in PA and mood. Residents with mild to moderate cognitive impairment in seven small assisted-living facilities were randomized by facility to the 12-week PAL or reminiscing interventions. Outcomes included PA and mood. PA was assessed monthly with 24-hour actigraph and Barthel Index, and mood was assessed with the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia. Residents of four facilities (n = 22) received the PAL intervention which included biweekly activities designed to encourage maintenance or improvement of PA and mood. During each PAL session, participants' engagement in each BI was noted. Engagement in BIs varied between residents and over sessions. BIs were not correlated with degree of cognitive impairment. In linear mixed models, the more participants walked the dog the more their PA changed, and the more participants looked at the dog the more their moods changed (ps < 0.05). Participants varied in their engagement in BIs. Two specific BIs were related to improvements in PA and mood. Finer assessment of BIs during animal-assisted interventions may enable understanding of their relationships to specific outcomes.

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Pet Face: Mechanisms Underlying Human-Animal Relationships

Cited by 101 publications

References 129 publications

Dog-directed speech: why do we use it and do dogs pay attention to it?

Dog-directed speech: why do we use it and do dogs pay attention to it?

Dog-Assisted Therapy in Neurorehabilitation of Children with Severe Neurological Impairment: An Explorative Study

Relationship of Behavioral Interactions during an Animal-assisted Intervention in Assisted Living to Health-related Outcomes

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