Impact of exposure on the willingness to work with dog breeds
- WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Ashley Marie Addonisio (Creator)
- Institution
- Western Carolina University (WCU )
- Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
- Advisor
- Nathan P. Roth
Abstract: In 1961, Dr. Boris Levinson’s therapeutic animal work was presented to the American Psychological Association (APA), later serving as the catalysis for what is now known as animal assisted interventions (AAI) (Altschiller, 2011). However, animals were long before assisting humans physically and emotionally. Since 1961, many animals have been introduced into therapeutic settings, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, prisons, and more (Granger & Kogan, 2006), with dogs being the most commonly integrated animal. Addonisio (2020) found that “bad” (e.g., Pit Bull Terriers, Rottweilers, Mastiffs) and “neutral” (e.g., German Shepherd, Dalmatian) reputation dog breeds were rated significantly lower on therapeutic qualities (e.g., nonjudgmental, approachable, engaging) than “good” reputation dogs (e.g., Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers). Based on the parasocial contact hypothesis (Schiappa et al., 2005), it was hypothesized that an individual’s perception of a specific dog breed would become more positive with parasocial contact (i.e., indirect contact via media). To date, no study has examined the impact of a breed specific exposure on the perception of bad reputation dog breeds. A two-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed to examine the interaction effect of the dog breeds and exposure (IVs) on perceived therapeutic qualities and likelihood of working with a dog (DVs). An exploratory Pearson correlation coefficient matrix was conducted to evaluate the relationship between therapeutic qualities ratings and the five M5-120 personality domains. No significant interaction effect between exposure groups or breed of the dog on the combined dependent variables was found. There was a significant positive correlation between two personality domains (Openness to experiences and Agreeableness) and therapeutic qualities ratings. Further research is needed to explore potential modifications that may combat the negative perceptions of dog breeds that are often utilized in AAI.
Impact of exposure on the willingness to work with dog breeds
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Created on 3/1/2024
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2024
- Keywords
- AAI, Animal Assisted Intervention, Dog, Dog Breeds, Exposure, Perception
- Subjects
- Animals—Therapeutic use
- Dogs—Therapeutic use
- Dog breeds
- Parasocial interaction
- Prejudices