The biological and psychological basis of pet therapy / animal-assisted therapy and what this means for practice "A comprehensive, scientific foundation for human-animal therapy". (Judith Solomon) In recent years, the ancient symbiosis between humans and their pets has entered a new phase, marked by the burgeoning clinical specialty of human-animal therapy. This approach uses the relationship between humans and their (mainly) mammalian pets to support the growth of emotion regulation, social skills, and mental health in children, adolescents, and adults. But how are humans and animals able to develop close bonds at all? What makes it possible for animals to have a therapeutic effect on humans? And how can we best use this understanding in animal-assisted therapy? In this unique book, a team of expert biologists and psychologists integrate and combine sophisticated biological and psychological knowledge to answer these questions. Together they have created a comprehensive, scientific foundation for human-animal therapy, a foundation that will facilitate the development, implementation, and evaluation of effective new interventions.

InhaltsangabeTable of Contents Foreword by Judith Solomon Foreword by Sir Patrick Bateson 1 The Mysterious Relationship Between Humans and Animals 2 Why Humans Are Willing and Able to Relate to Animals: The Perspective of Evolutionary Biology The Comparative Biologist Approach Human Biophilia and Interest in Animals The Mechanistic Base of Human-Animal Companionship Sociocognitive Matching by Domestication Which Companion Animal? 3 Effects of Human-Animal Interaction on Health, Social Interaction, Mood, Autonomous Nervous System, and Hormones Introduction Positive Health Effects Improvement of Positive Social Attention from Others and Stimulation of Social Behavior Improved Learning Empathic Skills Reduction of Fear and Anxiety and Promotion of Calmness Increased Trust and Trustworthiness Positive Mood and Reduction of Depression Improved Pain Management Reduction of Aggression Physiological Effects Conclusion 4 Physiology of Relationships: The Integrative Function of Oxytocin The Fight or Flight Reaction and the Relaxation and Growth or the Calm and Connection Reaction The Morphology of the Oxytocinergic System Oxytocin Receptors The Function of the Oxytocinergic System Clinical Disorders Release of Oxytocin in Animals Human Models of Oxytocin Release Examples of Functional Consequences Generalized Oxytocin Effects Beyond Mother-Infant Dyads Oxytocin and Human-Animal Interaction 5 Interpersonal Human Relationships: Attachment and Caregiving Introduction Attachment and Caregiving: Descriptions Excursus: Behavioral Systems Behavioral Systems: Attachment and Caregiving The Attachment System The Caregiving System Distribution of Attachment and Caregiving Patterns Effects of Insecure and Disorganized Attachment Patterns Linking Attachment and Caregiving to Social Support The Transmission of Attachment and Caregiving to Close Relationships Fully Developed Attachment and Caregiving Relationships Versus Openness to Securely Attach 6 Connecting Attachment and Caregiving with Their Physiological Base Introduction Attachment and Neuroendocrinological Systems Physiological Reaction Patterns and Caregiving Styles 7 HumanAnimal Relationships: Attachment and Caregiving Introduction Can HumanAnimal Relationships Be Conceptualized as Attachment Relationships? Can HumanAnimal Relationships Be Conceptualized as Caregiving Relationships? The Connection Between Attachment and Caregiving Behavior "Insecure" and Nonattached Relationships Between Human and Animals Attachment and Caregiving: The Animal Part 8 Bringing the Strands Together: The Physiology of Attachment and Caregiving in Human-Animal Relationships Physiological and Endocrine Patterns Underlying Attachment and Caregiving in Human-Animal Relationships An Explanation for the Health-Promoting Effects of Human-Animal Interactions 9 Practical Implications for Therapy Therapeutical Implications The AnimalTherapist Relationship as Precondition for AnimalAssisted Interventions The Selection of a Therapy Animal Potential Risks of Animal-Assisted Interventions for Humans and Animals The HealthPromoting Potential of Companion Animals in Society References