Presence of a dog on executive functioning and stress in children with emotional disorders

TL;DRAbstract

Therapy dogs are increasingly used in interventions for youth with emotional disorders. Theories of human-animal interactions suggest that dogs offer social support, which favorably influences psychological functioning and reduces physiological stress. Such theories are based largely on anecdotal reports due to a lack of empirical research. This study expanded upon the literature by comparing the effects of the presence of a dog versus a toy dog on executive functioning (EF) and physiological indicators of stress (heart rate and blood pressure) in 38 youth with emotional disorders (ages 7–15). Compared to the toy-dog condition, participants in the real-dog condition performed significantly better on executive tasks that required set shifting and inhibition, and completed set-shifting and sustained attention tasks more quickly. Analyses of age-related effects on EF showed that adolescents earned significantly higher scores than children on set-shifting and sustained attention tasks. Ado

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