Human-animal interaction as a context for supporting youth development

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

While relatively understudied in child development, human-animal interaction constitutes an important component of the developmental system. Pet ownership is increasingly common in the United States (68% of families have at least one pet; APPA, 2019), and youth often report their pets as important family members with whom they have deep and impactful relationships. Similarly, animal-assisted therapy is increasingly popular as an evidence-based adjunctive treatment modality for youth with a range of socio-emotional challenges. However, the role of human-animal interaction in promoting the positive development of youth in both of these settings remains relatively understudied.

This symposium will address how human-animal relationships can be a critical component of youth development in three distinct settings, highlighting the wide range of ways in which human-animal interaction contributes to child development. The first paper will explore pet relationships and loneliness in adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing data that highlights the complexities of how we study the role of pets in providing supportive relationships during social challenges. The second paper will examine the effects of a randomized controlled trial of an imitation-based physical activity program for children with developmental disabilities and their family dogs. Finally, the third paper will describe an innovative methodological technique for assessing the impacts of animal-assisted therapy in a complex clinical setting, and how this approach can be extended to other applications. This symposium represents an interdisciplinary, methodologically innovative exploration into the important role that animals can play in the youth developmental system.

Sub Unit

• Social Relationships

Chair

• Megan Kiely Mueller, Tufts University

Discussant

• Kristen C Jacobson, University of Chicago

Individual Presentations

• Pet relationships and adolescent loneliness during COVD-19 - Presenting Author: Megan Kiely Mueller, Tufts University; Non-Presenting Author: Amanda M Richer, Wellesley Centers for Women; Non-Presenting Author: Alicia Doyle Lynch, Lynch Research Associates; Non-Presenting Author: Linda Charmaraman, Wellesley College

• Improved Physical Activity Behaviors in Children With Developmental Disabilities: A Program with the Family Dog - Presenting Author: Megan MacDonald, Oregon State University - Corvallis; Non-Presenting Author: Monique Udell, Oregon State University; Non-Presenting Author: John Schuna, Oregon State University; Non-Presenting Author: Duo Jiang, Oregon State University

• Measuring Adolescent Development in Animal-Assisted Interventions: The Development of the Relative Efficacy Map Approach - Presenting Author: Erin Flynn, University of Denver; Non-Presenting Author: G. John Geldhof, Oregon State University - Corvallis; Non-Presenting Author: Megan Kiely Mueller, Tufts University; Non-Presenting Author: Svea Olsen, Oregon State University - Corvallis; Non-Presenting Author: Dakota Witzel, Oregon State University; Non-Presenting Author: Kevin N Morris, University of zDenver