NDLI: Psychosocial and Psychophysiological Effects of Human-Animal Interactions: The Possible Role of Oxytocin

Content Provider	PubMed Central
Author	Beetz, Andrea Uvnäs-moberg, Kerstin Julius, Henri Kurt, Kotrschal
Copyright Year	2012
Abstract	During the last decade it has become more widely accepted that pet ownership and animal assistance in therapy and education may have a multitude of positive effects on humans. Here, we review the evidence from 69 original studies on human-animal interactions (HAI) which met our inclusion criteria with regard to sample size, peer-review, and standard scientific research design. Among the well-documented effects of HAI in humans of different ages, with and without special medical, or mental health conditions are benefits for: social attention, social behavior, interpersonal interactions, and mood; stress-related parameters such as cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure; self-reported fear and anxiety; and mental and physical health, especially cardiovascular diseases. Limited evidence exists for positive effects of HAI on: reduction of stress-related parameters such as epinephrine and norepinephrine; improvement of immune system functioning and pain management; increased trustworthiness of and trust toward other persons; reduced aggression; enhanced empathy and improved learning. We propose that the activation of the oxytocin system plays a key role in the majority of these reported psychological and psychophysiological effects of HAI. Oxytocin and HAI effects largely overlap, as documented by research in both, humans and animals, and first studies found that HAI affects the oxytocin system. As a common underlying mechanism, the activation of the oxytocin system does not only provide an explanation, but also allows an integrative view of the different effects of HAI.
Related Links	http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00234
Starting Page	234
File Format	PDF
ISSN	16641078
e-ISSN	16641078
Journal	Frontiers in Psychology
Volume Number	3
Language	English
Publisher	Frontiers Research Foundation
Publisher Date	2012-01-01
Access Restriction	Open
Rights Holder	Frontiers Research Foundation
Subject Keyword	Research in Higher Education
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Psychology

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