Man's Best Friend is a Therapist's Best Friend: How the Presence of a Dog Influences Therapists and Others' Perceptions of Them
Year: 2018
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Research shows that others perceive therapists who are accompanied by a dog more positively, compared to when they are alone. However, it is not known whether it is the presence of the dog that causes this, or whether the dog positively influences the affect of the therapist. The purpose of this study is to improve our understanding of how the presence of a dog influences others’ perceptions. Therapists were videotaped with and without their dog present. The videos were edited to show the therapists’ faces only. Therefore, even in the dog-present videos, the dogs are not visible. Participants watched the videos online, after which they responded to questionnaires assessing perceptions of the therapist, and willingness to self-disclose to the therapist they saw. Participants provided more positive ratings, and indicated greater willingness to disclose to therapists when therapists were in the presence of their dog compared to when they were not.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Sari G. E. Isenstein
Language: English
Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2942643062