Human-Animal Interaction as a Context for Positive Youth Development: A Relational Developmental Systems Approach to Constructing Human-Animal Interaction Theory and Research

Human-animal relationships are both ubiquitous and diverse across the life span, and may be especially salient among children and adolescents. Although research into youth involvement in human-animal interaction (HAI) is growing, existing data have not adequately explored the developmental processes...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human development 2014-01, Vol.57 (1), p.5-25
Main Author: Mueller, Megan K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescence
Adolescents
Animal behaviour
Animals
Child development
Childhood
Developmental psychology
Human behaviour
Original Paper
Pets
Research Design
Resistance (Psychology)
Systems Approach
Therapy
Veterinary Medicine
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Summary:Human-animal relationships are both ubiquitous and diverse across the life span, and may be especially salient among children and adolescents. Although research into youth involvement in human-animal interaction (HAI) is growing, existing data have not adequately explored the developmental processes associated with HAI. The purpose of this article is to discuss why relational developmental systems models, which explore bidirectional influences between individuals and their contexts, constitute a useful paradigm for addressing the challenges and complexities in research pertaining to human-animal relations, particularly in the study of positive youth development. Recommendations are presented for building the field of youth HAI research through expanding the exploration of animal relationships in ways that may serve to promote trajectories of positive development across childhood and adolescence.
ISSN:0018-716X
1423-0054
DOI:10.1159/000356914