Well-Being over the Life Course: Incorporating Human-Animal Interaction

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Regina M. Bures
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Human Animal Interaction ◽  
Animal Interaction ◽  
The Life Course

scholarly journals Animals in our Lives: An Interactive Well-Being Perspective

2021 ◽  
pp. 027614672098481
Author(s):  
Nancy V. Wünderlich ◽  
Jill Mosteller ◽  
Michael B. Beverland ◽  
Hilary Downey ◽  
Karen Kraus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Support ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Considerable Research ◽  
Public Consumption ◽  
Marketing Systems ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Human Animal Interaction ◽  
Animal Interaction ◽  
Mental Well Being

Humans have long interacted with animals. Recently, market-based responses to societal challenges, including loneliness and mental well-being include the use of animals. Considerable research concerning consumer–animal relationships has also examined the benefits (micro, meso, and macro) of human-animal interaction and companionship. However, much of this research is fragmented and lacks a broader organizing framework. It also suffers from an anthropomorphic bias, whereby the interests of animals are excluded. To address this, we provide a macromarketing perspective on consumer–animal relations and explore the interdependencies of consumer–animal relationships on consumer, animal, and community well-being. We introduce and apply the Interactive Well-Being framework to four contexts –ranging from private to public consumption spaces– that highlight the interdependencies and systems involved in consumer–animal relationships: (1) co-habitation with animals, (2) emotional support animals, (3) working with animals, and (4) animals in commercial service contexts. We discuss the implications of our framework for the resilience of marketing systems and how the framework aligns with alternative economy development.

scholarly journals Variability in Human-Animal Interaction Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerri E. Rodriguez ◽  
Harold Herzog ◽  
Nancy R. Gee
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Standardized Measures ◽  
Research Outcomes ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Unique Nature ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Human Animal Interaction ◽  
Animal Interaction ◽  
Methodological Considerations

The field of Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) is plagued with mixed results. Some findings appear to indicate that interacting with a companion animal is beneficial for some aspect of human health and well-being, while other research outcomes are inconclusive or even indicate the opposite. The purpose of this paper is to take a closer look at this variability in research outcomes and to provide plausible explanations and potential remedies. Some of the reasons for mixed results are likely due to the wide variety of methodologies implemented, intermittent use of standardized measures and manualized protocols, variability in human and animal participants, and limited quantification of human-animal interactions or definitions of pet ownership. Variability in research outcomes is not unique to HAI and is, in fact, not uncommon in many more established fields such as psychology and medicine. However, the potential reasons for the variability may be linked to the unique nature of HAI in that, in its' simplest form, it involves two complex organisms, a human and an animal, interacting in dynamic ways. We argue that this complexity makes research in this field particularly challenging and requires a broad spectrum of theoretical and methodological considerations to improve rigor while ensuring the validity and reliability of conclusions drawn from study results.

scholarly journals Well-being and human-animal interactions in schools: The case of "Dog Daycare Co-Op"

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Elizabeth Pinto ◽  
Donna Foulkes
Keyword(s):  
Formal Education ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
School Based ◽  
The Social ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Human Animal Interaction ◽  
Animal Interaction ◽  
The Impact

This paper draws on Martha Nussbaum’s account of the nature of human well-being to explore the role of animals in formal education settings. Nussbaum equates well-being with human flourishing, and argues that people live well when engaged in essential functions that are particular capabilities, each a necessary but insufficient contributor to well-being. One of these capabilities is the ability to “to have concern for and live with other animals, plants and the environment.” Yet, this condition of well-being remains largely unexplored among in education. In recent years, the benefits of human-animal interaction in education settings has been researched and discussed in the social sciences, particularly  the use of dogs to aid reluctant readers in literacy development, and the use of therapy dogs in universities during final examination blocks. This paper presents findings of one particular research project of the effects of a unique, Canadian school-based cooperative education program, “Under One Woof,” in which students work with animals.  Based on interviews, students’ own stories of the impact of animal interaction – particularly in light of other challenges they faced academically and socially – appear to support other empirical accounts of positive effects of animals in education settings, and offer insight into the nature and effects of human-animal interaction as an element of well-being.

Veterans and animals: A review of the literature on well-being and social isolation and recommendations during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
pp. e20200059
Author(s):  
Cheryl A. Krause-Parello ◽  
Beth A. Pratt ◽  
Emma Meyer ◽  
Lisa Browne-Banic
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Human Animal Interaction ◽  
Animal Interaction ◽  
The Impact

LAY SUMMARY Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the negative consequences of social isolation on well-being, the authors wanted to better understand the impact animals have on Veteran well-being during times of social isolation. The authors searched current articles to find the answer. What was found was limited, but the findings support that human-animal interaction has beneficial effects on Veteran well-being ameliorating the consequences of social isolation.

Rediscovering connections between animal welfare and human welfare: Creating social work internships at a humane society

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Hoy-Gerlach ◽  
Martha Delgado ◽  
Heather Sloane ◽  
Phil Arkow
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Therapeutic Benefits ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Human Animal Interaction ◽  
Animal Interaction

Summary Within a narrative of how two distinct graduate social work internship placements at a humane society were structured and implemented, we address: (1) historic and contemporary rationales for social work roles in humane society settings, (2) development of social work field placements in a humane society, and (3) specific social work learning opportunities afforded. Findings The first petition for removal of a child due to abuse in the United States occurred in 1874 through efforts of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals director. While child protection services have evolved since then, numerous aspects of human–animal interaction are relevant to social work: social support roles of animals, connections between violence toward animals and violence toward humans, therapeutic benefits of animals, companion animal loss, and compassion fatigue among animal shelter and veterinary staff. Encompassing such HAI aspects, we describe the development of two distinct internship placements at a humane society. One placement entailed a twofold focus on: reduction of staff compassion fatigue and development of an Emotional Support Animal placement program (the Hope and Recovery Pet Program); the other placement focused on aspects of the connection between violence toward animals and violence toward people. Applications Aspects of these social work placements can be modified and replicated in humane societies and related settings. Increased awareness of the potential relevance of human–animal interaction across social work practice settings allows for explicit identification of/response to clients’ human–animal interaction-related strengths and concerns, ultimately supporting the well-being of both humans and animals.

scholarly journals A Faith to Move Mountains? Childhood Abuse, Religious Change, and Mental Health at Midlife

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 461-461
Author(s):  
Laura Upenieks
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Religious Attendance ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Religious Importance ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract Of all the various forms of adversity experienced during childhood, childhood maltreatment (emotional and physical abuse) is shown to have the largest impacts on mental health and well-being. Yet we still have a limited understanding of why some victims of early maltreatment suffer immense mental health consequences later on in the life course, while others are able to cushion the blow of these early insults. Using two waves of data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), this study considers change in religiosity as a buffer across three dimensions for victims of childhood abuse: religious importance, attendance, and the specific act of seeking comfort through religion. Results suggest that increases in religious comfort during adulthood are positively associated with adult mental health for victims of abuse, while decreases in religious comfort over time were associated with worse mental health. Changes in religious attendance and religious importance were not significant associated with mental health for victims of abuse. Taken together, my results show that the stress-moderating effects of religion for victims of childhood maltreatment are contingent on the stability or increases or decreases in religiosity over the life course, which has been overlooked in previous work.

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