Behavioral and physiological assessment of adolescent and therapy dog interactions

项目摘要 动物辅助干预（AAI）是一种越来越受欢迎的解决一些社会问题的方法， 青春的情感挑战一个特别重要的临床领域是治疗社交焦虑症， 初步证据表明，与动物互动可以减轻压力和焦虑。 然而，很少有研究测试这种益处是否延伸到有社交焦虑风险的青少年。此外，委员会认为， 在如何实施AAI方面存在很大的差异，但关于具体的相互作用如何的数据很少 治疗犬和参与者之间的交流可以促进焦虑的减少。 这项研究的总体目标是评估参与者和狗之间的具体互动如何相关 青少年自我报告的焦虑和生理反应的变化。该项目的具体目标 评估1）青少年和治疗犬行为与青少年之间的时间关系 生理反应，以及2）青少年表现出的亲和或压力相关行为的影响 和狗对青少年参与者焦虑的测量。这些目标将通过利用 现有的视频，自我报告，和心理生理学数据收集在一个基于实验室的研究评估， 治疗犬接触对青少年社交焦虑的影响（5R03HD091892）。视频将被编码为 青少年对治疗犬的互动以及治疗犬的行为。行为守则将 然后将其与现有的自我报告的青少年焦虑和连续的心理生理学数据（皮肤 电导水平），以评估特定相互作用对AAI功效的影响。 这项研究代表了AAI研究领域内的一项重大方法创新， 观察视频数据与客观的生理数据，以更好地了解时间和影响， AAI内的特定交互可以产生具有精确分辨率的焦虑减少响应。此外，本发明还提供了一种方法， 本研究探讨了青少年行为和狗行为之间的交互作用对效能的影响， 的干预。因此，这项工作是告知AAI如何以最佳方式进行的关键一步 旨在最大限度地提高有效的互动。

Project Summary Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) are an increasingly popular approach for addressing a number of socio- emotional challenges for youth. One area of particular clinical importance is the treatment of social anxiety in adolescence, and initial evidence suggests that interacting with animals can reduce stress and anxiety. However, little research has tested if this benefit extends to adolescents at risk for social anxiety. Furthermore, there is a high level of variability in how AAIs are implemented, but little data on how specific interactions between therapy dogs and participants can promote anxiety reduction. The overall objective of this study is to assess how specific interactions between participants and dogs relate to changes in adolescents’ self-reported anxiety and physiological reactivity. The specific aims of this project are to assess 1) the temporal relationship between adolescent and therapy dog behaviors and adolescent physiological reactivity, and 2) the effects of affiliative or stress-linked behaviors demonstrated by adolescents and dogs on measures of anxiety in adolescent participants. These aims will be achieved by leveraging existing video, self-report, and psychophysiology data collected during a laboratory-based study assessing the effects of therapy dog contact on social anxiety in adolescents (5R03HD091892). Videos will be coded for adolescent interactions directed towards therapy dogs as well as therapy dog behaviors. Behavior codes will then be linked to existing self-reported adolescent anxiety and continuous psychophysiology data (skin conductance level) to assess the effects of specific interactions on AAI efficacy. This study represents a significant methodological innovation within the field of AAI research by combining observational video data with objective physiological data to better understand the timing and effects of how particular interactions within AAI can produce anxiety reducing responses with precise resolution. In addition, this study explores the effects of the interaction between adolescent behavior and dog behavior on the efficacy of the intervention. Therefore, this work represents a critical step in informing how AAIs can be optimally designed to maximize effective interactions.