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Research continues to shed light on the benefits associated with dog ownership. However, we know virtually nothing about how undesired dog behaviours impact young people’s behavioural and perceptive experiences with their dogs. Understanding these impacts is important because it can offer a more nuanced understanding of the effects of dog ownership. This exploratory study applied a qualitative methodology to examine young people’s perceptions about their dog’s behavioural issues, along with a focus on young people’s coping styles. Seven participants aged between 17 and 26 years engaged in semi-structured in-depth one-on-one interviews about their experiences with their dogs and their coping strategies in response to undesired dog behaviours. Thematic coding identified the following salient themes in participants’ responses which were subsequently explored in detail: (1) severity of dogs’ behavioural issues, (2) participants’ coping styles, (3) the relationship between the dog’s behavioural issues and the participant, (4) participants’ emotional reactions, (5) participants’ self-evaluation – insights – of their coping styles, and (6) similarities between participants’ coping styles with humans to whom they are close and those used with their dogs. Findings from this study indicate that young people prefer proactive coping styles when coping with undesired behaviours in their dogs. This study’s findings also indicate that the severity of dogs’ behavioural issues is associated with young people’s emotions (e.g., more severe behavioural issues seem to elicit more intense emotions). The significance of these findings for practice in the field of human-animal interactions is discussed.

Implementation of university-based animal-assisted stress-prevention programs is increasing despite limited knowledge about impacts on students' academic success. This randomized trial (N = 309) examined the effects of a 4-week stress-prevention program with varying levels of human-animal interaction (HAI) and evidence-based content presentations on students' executive functioning (EF). Effects were examined while considering the moderating role of students' risk status (N = 121), based on history of academic failure, suicidal ideation, mental health, and learning issues. Intent-to-treat analyses showed that at-risk students showed the highest levels of EF (? = 4.74, p = 0.018) and metacognition (? = 4.88, p = 0.013) at posttest in the condition featuring 100% HAI, effects that remained 6 weeks later (?[subscript Global EF] = 4.48, p = 0.028; ?[subscript Metacognition] = 5.31,p = 0.009). Since evidence-based content presentations did not confer benefits for at-risk students' EF, even when offered in combination with HAI, universities should consider providing at-risk students with targeted programs emphasizing exposure to HAI.

University students report high levels of stress. Although causal work is limited, one popular approach to promote stress relief is animal visitation programs (AVPs). We conducted a randomized trial (N = 249) examining effects of a 10-minute AVP on students' salivary cortisol levels. Undergraduate students were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: hands-on AVP (petting cats and dogs; n = 73), AVP observation (watching others pet animals; n = 62), AVP slideshow (viewing images of same animals; n = 57), or AVP waitlist (n = 57). Participants collected salivary cortisol upon waking, and two samples were collected 15 and 25 minutes after the 10-minute condition, reflecting cortisol levels at the beginning and end of the intervention. Controlling for students' basal cortisol, time awake, and circadian pattern, students in the hands-on condition had lower posttest cortisol compared to slideshow ([beta] = 0.150, p = 0.046), waitlist ([beta] = 0.152, p = 0.033), and observation ([beta] = 0.164, p = 0.040). A 10-minute college-based AVP providing hands-on petting of cats and dogs provides momentary stress relief.

Simple Summary: Cats are increasingly involved in animal-assisted services (AAS), which help people with physical, emotional, or mental challenges. However, some believe cats may not be suitable for this work because of their species-specific needs and behaviours. This study explored whether cats participating in AAS have different behavioural traits compared to other cats. Using a Flemish translation of the Feline Behavioural Assessment and Research Questionnaire (Fe-BARQ) completed by 474 cat caregivers in Flanders, we found that AAS cats scored higher on sociability with people, attention seeking, sociability with cats, and predatory behaviour, and they scored lower on resistance to restraint, compared to other cats. These findings suggest that cats chosen for AAS might naturally exhibit traits that help them thrive in this role. While this study does not make conclusions about whether cats as a species are suitable for AAS (i.e., focusing on between-species differences), it adds to our understanding of how cats might support humans through AAS, taking into account individual characteristics (i.e., focusing on within-species differences). Furthermore, this research tested a useful tool to study cat behaviour, helping to improve how we assess the engagement of cats in AAS now and in the future. The engagement of cats in animal-assisted services (AAS) is increasing. This is surprising given that feline behavioural needs have been perceived as contradictory to conditions associated with AAS engagement, leading to the assumption that cats as a species are not suitable for AAS. However, important within-species variability in behavioural traits nuancing this assumption has not been addressed. Therefore, this study aimed to map the behavioural profiles of cats engaged in AAS and non-AAS cats to detect behavioural profile differences between these groups. Such differences could point to AAS cats being selected to engage in AAS based upon particular behavioural traits or, relatedly, to AAS cats coping differently with AAS features. Using a Flemish translation of the Feline Behavioural Assessment and Research Questionnaire (Fe-BARQ), cross-sectional survey data on various cats' (N = 474) behavioural indices were collected. Using Mann–Whitney U-tests, results indicate that AAS cats significantly differed from non-AAS cats on five out of 19 behavioural subscales. Specifically, AAS cats scored higher on sociability with people, attention seeking, sociability with cats and predatory behaviour, and they scored lower on resistance to restraint. While this study did not allow for assessing explanations for these differences, findings suggest that cats in AAS may be intentionally or unintentionally selected for behavioural traits perceived as desirable for engagement in AAS. While we refrain from drawing conclusions regarding the "suitability" of cats based solely on our findings, our study contributes to the ongoing discourse surrounding critical themes around AAS-engaging cats. Furthermore, our findings provide a first indication of the reliability of a translation of a well-validated measurement tool suitable to map behavioural traits of cats in Flanders engaged in AAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anxiety and stress among incoming university students are associated with higher rates of mental health disorders and decreased academic success. One approach universities employ to prevent these problems is the implementation of Animal Visitation Programs (AVPs). While efficacy trials suggest positive effects, little is known about students' program uptake (e.g., attendance frequency and duration) or students' characteristics (e.g., current mood and past mental health, pet ownership, and pet separation anxiety) that shape program uptake. This study identified student characteristics that predicted AVP uptake in a subsample (n = 209) of randomly selected first-year university students (n = 2,000) who were screened for pet ownership and randomly assigned to attend a semester-long drop-in AVP program (i.e., seven 2-hour sessions) (n = 105) with registered therapy dogs or a waitlist control group (n = 104). Using logistic and multiple regression modeling, participants' mental health history, current mood, and relationship with their childhood pet were modeled on students' attendance frequency and duration. Students' early session uptake was negatively associated with mental health history (Bfrequency = –0.876, p = 0.03, OR = 0.417) and perceived stress (Bfrequency = –0.177, p = 0.04, OR = 0.838; βduration = –0.433, p = 0.02, d = 0.61) and positively associated with current anxiety (Bfrequency = 0.179, p = 0.01, OR = 1.196; βduration = 0.513, p = 0.01, d = 0.66). Overall attendance was negatively associated with levels of pet separation anxiety (βfrequency = –0.342, p = 0.004, d = 0.70; βduration = –0.286, p = 0.03, d = 0.53) and identifying as male (βfrequency = –0.308, p = 0.003, d = 0.72; βduration = –0.321, p = 0.004, d = 0.68) and was positively associated with early uptake (βfrequency = 0.627, p < 0.001, d = 1.40; βduration = 0.532, p < 0.001, d = 1.08). Findings suggest that program attendance may be enhanced by prioritizing access to students experiencing anxiety upon arrival to campus, rather than students experiencing stress, pet separation anxiety, or those reporting a history of mental health problems. Administrators should strongly promote attendance to the first session as this is significantly associated with greater program uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While associations between exposure to marital conflict and child development have been documented extensively in middle childhood and adolescence, few studies have examined the developmental consequences of conflict exposure in infancy. Moreover, those that have examined marital conflict in infancy tended to focus on consequences of conflict exposure on infants' attachment security, and various aspects of infants' physiological and emotion regulation. Virtually nothing is known about the longitudinal links between exposure to interparental conflict in infancy and later cognitive development. Using longitudinal data on a subsample of infants (N = 6,019) and their parents who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), this study examined links between the frequency of interparental conflict at 9 months and child cognitive development 15 months later. Combining data from parent interviews, birth certificates, in-home assessments of child cognitive development, and videotaped parent-child interactions, results showed significant negative associations between the frequency of child-related interparental conflict at 9 months of age and child cognitive ability at 24 months. The negative association reflects a direct effect that was not mediated by parental support or child attachment security measured at 24 months. Associations were calculated while considering children's prior cognitive functioning (at 9 months), and a wide range of child, parent and household characteristics.

To explore the efficacy of equine programming to support positive behavioral development of horse-novice youth, researchers examined trajectories of behavioral change of 5-8th grade students as they participate in an equine facilitated learning program. Behaviors were rated and analyzed to examine group trajectories of change. Results indicated significant increases and decreases in mean levels of participants' positive and negative behaviors respectively (M[subscript pos] = 17.13, p = 0.000; M[subscript neg] = 4.76 ; p = 0.005). Additionally, researchers describe how program principles can be incorporated into 4-H curricula, expanding positive youth development opportunities for horse-novice and horse-experienced youth.

Self-regulation ability is an important component of children's academic success. Physiological reactivity may relate to brain activity governing attention and behavioral regulation. Saliva samples collected from 186 preschool children (101 boys, mean age = 53 months, 34% minority) before and after a series of mildly challenging games and again 30 min following the challenges were used to assess hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) (cortisol) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS; alpha-amylase) activity. Behavioral regulation was measured in delay of gratification and slow-down motor activities included in the challenge task. Cortisol and alpha-amylase were related differentially to aspects of behavioral regulation. Low cortisol was related to classroom regulation difficulties. Children with greater cortisol elevations following the challenge task had poorer performance on the slow-down motor task. Children with greater increases in salivary alpha-amylase following challenge were less able to delay gratification. Results suggest that HPA axis and SNS arousal may contribute differentially to behavioral regulation ability.

Associations between family functioning and children's stress hormone levels are explored, by examining how aspects of the interparental relationship (parents' marital satisfaction and parent conflict styles), the mother-child relationship (maternal involvement and warmth) and maternal emotional functioning (depression, anxiety and self-esteem) relate to children's cortisol levels. Parents of 63 children (32 kindergarten-aged children, 31 adolescents) completed questionnaires regarding family and individual functioning, and children's salivary cortisol samples were collected on two consecutive weekdays at home immediately upon waking and at bedtime, such that wakeup, bedtime and average levels and the slope of their diurnal cortisol rhythms could be estimated. Higher marital functioning was significantly and independently associated with lower child cortisol levels (average levels and wakeup levels), while maternal parenting quality and emotional functioning were not significant when included in the same regression model. Associations between parents' marital functioning and children's bedtime cortisol levels and diurnal slopes were moderated by child age, with higher parent marital functioning being associated with a significantly greater lowering of bedtime levels and steeper diurnal slopes for kindergarten-aged children as compared to adolescents. Higher maternal parenting quality was found to be significantly related to steeper diurnal cortisol rhythms. (Contains 5 tables, 2 figures and 6 footnotes.)

As most university-based animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) feature interactions with dogs, little is known about the feasibility of providing opportunities to interact with cats. Few studies have examined employee or student interest in interacting with on-campus cats, and virtually nothing is known about the role of participants' characteristics and perceptions in shaping their interest. Using a cross-sectional survey, the current study assessed participants' responsiveness toward an on-campus cat visitation program in a sample of higher-education staff and students (n = 1,438). Using hierarchical regression analyses, responsiveness was modeled on participants' demographic characteristics (i.e., employee or student, gender, age), the personality trait of emotionality, perceived stress, prior animal experiences (i.e., cat/dog ownership, cat allergy and phobia, responsiveness toward on-campus dogs), and perceived risks of on-campus cats. Regression analyses indicated that emotionality (β = 0.15, p < 0.001), being female (β = 0.06, p < 0.05), being open to a dog visitation program (β = 0.50, p < 0.001), and being a cat owner (β = 0.13, p < 0.001), were positively associated with responsiveness toward a cat visitation program, whereas having a cat phobia (β = −0.22, p < 0.001), cat allergy (β = −0.13, p < 0.001), being a dog owner (β = −0.08, p < 0.001), and perceiving interactions with cats as risky (β = −0.14, p < 0.001) were negatively associated. Interestingly, although we hypothesized positive associations between perceived stress and responsiveness, these associations were not significant (β = −0.03, p = 0.305), nor did we observe significant differences by student or employee status (β = 0.02, p = 0.610). These findings are the first to elucidate the role of staff and students' features in shaping responsiveness toward on-campus cats in higher education, which may inform the design and implementation of on-campus visitation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While efficacy trials suggest that Animal Visitation Programs (AVPs) relieve university student stress, their essential components are unknown. Students were randomly assigned to one of four 10-min conditions: AVP touch (n = 73), AVP proximity (n = 62), AVP imagery (n = 57), or AVP waitlist (n = 57). Participants collected salivary cortisol (Cort) and α-amylase (sAA) upon waking and at 15 and 25 min post-condition from which parameters indicating adaptive physiological functioning were calculated. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that students in all three comparison conditions had lower posttest sAA (βproximity = −0.175, p = 0.017; βimagery = −0.214, p = 0.003; βwaitlist = −0.138, p = 0.051), lower sAA-to-Cort ratios (AOCs) from pretest to posttest (βproximity = −0.277, p < 0.001; βimagery = −0.307, p < 0.001; βwaitlist = −0.172, p = 0.014), lower AOCs from wakeup to posttest (βproximity = −0.135, p = 0.010; βimagery = −0.150, p = 0.004; βwaitlist = −0.117, p = 0.021), and a smaller sAA increase from wakeup to posttest (βproximity = −0.216, p = 0.001; βimagery = −0.247, p < 0.001; βwaitlist = −0.130, p = 0.033) compared with the AVP touch condition, indicating greater autonomic arousal (sAA) and coordination of stress systems (AOCs) in AVP touch participants. These results suggest that touch is the primary AVP component facilitating adaptive stress-related physiological states among participating university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite evidence that youth develop close relationships with their childhood pets, virtually nothing is known about how pet attachment and behavioral involvement with pets may shape students' pet-separation anxiety during the transition to college. Given that separation may constitute a potential risk factor for developing mental health issues, we explored these associations. A month before arrival on campus, a randomly selected sample of incoming first-year students (n = 2,000) reported on pet ownership (n = 145), pet attachment (Johnson et al., 1992) and pet-related behavioral involvement. A month later, 2 weeks into the semester, students reported on the severity of pet-related separation anxiety, with 25.5% of students reporting experiencing moderate to severe pet-related separation anxiety. Regression analyses modeled contributions of students' pet attachment, behavioral involvement, and student characteristics (e.g., first generation, mental health history) on pet-related separation anxiety. Results showed that people substituting-related pet attachment (β = 0.19, p = 0.015), spending more time with pets compared with other pet owners (β = 0.24, p = 0.002), talking to pets (β = 0.19, p = 0.009), nights per week of pet-co-sleeping (β = 0.16, p = 0.027), significantly predicted separation anxiety while students' history of anxiety (β = 0.18, p = 0.012) and self-harm (β = 0.14, p = 0.046) were controlled. Findings show that students whose pets played a large role in their lives experienced separation anxiety during the transition to college, which may compromise academic success. Students' indicators related to pet ownership should be considered as potential risk factors beyond traditional mental health considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, associations were examined between cortisol levels of wives and husbands in 47 heterosexual married couples. Both partners' salivary cortisol levels were measured at the same moments seven times a day on 2 typical weekdays. After accounting for the effects of the diurnal rhythm of cortisol and relevant control variables, dyadic hierarchical linear modeling indicated significant positive linkages between partners' cortisol levels, consistent with the hypothesized within-couple physiological synchrony. Variables reflecting more (spousal presence) or less connectedness (loneliness, being alone) were also collected at the time of each cortisol sample. Results indicated that husbands' cortisol levels were higher at moments they reported feeling lonelier and lower at moments they were in the presence of their spouse. Wives' cortisol levels were higher at moments they were alone. In addition, wife-husband cortisol synchrony was stronger for husbands who spent relatively more time with their spouse across the study period-even after accounting for time spent with others in general. These findings suggest that marital partners evidence positive within-couple cortisol associations, and that connectedness (particularly physical closeness) may underpin spouses' physiological synchrony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]