Perceptions of animal‐assisted interventions: The influence of attitudes toward companion animals

Objective We tested whether people are prone toward positive perceptions of Animal‐Assisted Interventions (AAIs). We additionally evaluated whether this effect is stronger for people who have positive attitudes toward companion animals. Method We presented 210 participants with fictitious news repor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical psychology 2018-04, Vol.74 (4), p.566-578
Main Authors: Crossman, Molly K., Kazdin, Alan E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal shelters
animal‐assisted intervention
Attitudes
expectancy
human–animal interaction
treatment acceptability
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Summary:Objective We tested whether people are prone toward positive perceptions of Animal‐Assisted Interventions (AAIs). We additionally evaluated whether this effect is stronger for people who have positive attitudes toward companion animals. Method We presented 210 participants with fictitious news reports, each describing a study of an AAI or a control intervention. Participants rated the news reports on their credibility, acceptability, and general appeal and completed a measure of attitudes toward companion animals. Results Individuals with positive attitudes toward companion animals evaluated AAIs as more credible, acceptable, and positive than did individuals with negative attitudes toward companion animals. There was no difference in how people with positive and negative attitudes toward companion animals evaluated control treatments. Conclusion We found that individuals with positive attitudes toward companion animals perceived AAIs as more credible, acceptable, and positive, relative to individuals with more negative attitudes toward companion animals.
ISSN:0021-9762
1097-4679
DOI:10.1002/jclp.22548