Effects of Animal-Assisted Activities with Guinea Pigs in the Primary School Classroom.
Effects of Animal-Assisted Activities with Guinea Pigs in the Primary School Classroom.
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DOI：
10.2752/175303713x13697429463835
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发表时间：
2013
期刊：
影响因子：
1.6
通讯作者：
Slaughter V
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
O'Haire ME;McKenzie SJ;McCune S;Slaughter V
本研究旨在探讨动物辅助活动（AAA）对小学儿童社会功能的影响。我们假设实验条件下的参与者（n = 64），与等待名单对照组（n = 64）相比，将在该计划后表现出社会功能的改善。家长和教师使用社会技能评分系统（SSRS），以评估社会技能和问题行为的128名参与儿童（年龄范围= 4.8至12.7岁）之前和之后的8周的时间。教师还在两个时间点评定了学术能力。参加AAA计划的儿童在社会功能方面的改善比对照组同龄人明显更大，其定义为社交技能（教师SSRS）的增加和问题行为（父母和教师SSRS）的减少。在学术能力方面，两组之间没有显着差异。AAA的参与者表现出显着的社会技能的增加和减少问题行为从前到后的教师版本的SSRS计划。对照组参与者在这些指标上没有显着变化。这些研究结果表明，AAA计划与豚鼠可能是一个可行的除了小学课堂，以改善社会功能。进一步的成分分析将是必要的，以确定动物是否是这种性质的AAA计划的活性成分。
This study investigated the effects of a classroom-based animal-assisted activities (AAA) program with guinea pigs on the social functioning of primary school children. We hypothesized that participants in the experimental condition (n = 64), compared with a waitlist control group (n = 64), would demonstrate improvements in social functioning following the program. Parents and teachers used the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) to evaluate the social skills and problem behaviors of 128 participating children (age range = 4.8 to 12.7 years) before and after an 8-week period. Teachers also rated academic competence at both time points. Children who participated in the AAA program demonstrated significantly greater improvements in social functioning than their control group peers, as defined by greater increases in social skills (teacher SSRS) and decreases in problem behaviors (parent and teacher SSRS). There were no significant differences between the groups in academic competence. AAA participants demonstrated significant increases in social skills and decreases in problem behaviors from pre- to post-program on the teacher version of the SSRS. Control group participants did not show significant changes on these measures. These findings suggest that an AAA program with guinea pigs may be a feasible addition to the primary school classroom in order to improve social functioning. Further component analysis will be necessary to determine whether the animal is the active ingredient in AAA programs of this nature.