Human-Animal Bond, Human-Animal Interaction
Conditions
Keywords
Oxytocin, Cortisol, Human-animal interaction
Brief summary
This study investigates the roles of oxytocin pathways in human-animal interaction.
Detailed description
This study investigates the roles of oxytocin pathways in human-animal interaction. Children will participate in three conditions involving friendly interactions with dogs, or play with toys at a university laboratory. Child and dog saliva and urine will be assayed for oxytocin concentrations. We will assess variation in oxytocin concentrations in relation to different experimental conditions, and in relation to specific behaviors and psychological constructs.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPet dog
Children will interact freely with their pet dog for 25 minutes.
BEHAVIORALUnfamiliar dog
Children will interact freely with an unfamiliar dog for 25 minutes
BEHAVIORALNonsocial control
Children will play with age-appropriate toys/games for 25 minutes.
Sponsors
University of Virginia
University of Arizona
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
Personnel analyzing hormones will be blinded to the experimental condition samples were collected from.
Intervention model description
Within-subjects, 3 conditions, 2 condition orders balanced across participants
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
8 Years to 10 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Participants in this study will include typically-developing children between 8-10 years who have lived with a companion dog in the household for at least 6 months.
Exclusion criteria
* known medical diseases or injuries involving the central nervous or endocrine systems, major physical abnormalities, seizures, and significant sensory, cognitive, or motor impairments, current use of psychoactive medications
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Salivary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve | baseline, 15 minutes | Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi). |
| Urinary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve | baseline, 50 minutes | Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Salivary Cortisol, Area Under the Curve | baseline, 50 minutes | Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi). |
| Urinary Vasopressin, Area Under the Curve | baseline, 50 minutes | Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi). |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Recruitment details
Participants were recruited from the local community through email listservs, print advertisements, social media, and flyers distributed to schools, libraries, museums, and veterinary clinics. Recruitment occurred between February 1, 2019 and February 1, 2022.
Pre-assignment details
None / not applicable
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Pet Dog Interaction First, Then Nonsocial Control, Then Unfamiliar Dog Interaction Participant's first study visit involved 25 minutes of interaction with the participant's pet dog. The second study visit involved 25 minutes of individual play with toys. The third study visit involved 25 minutes of interaction with an unfamiliar dog. | 30 |
| Unfamiliar Dog Interaction First, Then Nonsocial Control, Then Pet Dog Interaction Participant's first study visit involved 25 minutes of interaction with an unfamiliar dog. The second study visit involved 25 minutes of individual play with toys. The third study visit involved 25 minutes of interaction with the participant's pet dog. | 25 |
| Total | 55 |
Withdrawals & dropouts
| Period | Reason | FG000 | FG001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third Research Visit | Lost to Follow-up | 1 | 0 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Unfamiliar Dog Interaction First, Then Nonsocial Control, Then Pet Dog Interaction | Pet Dog Interaction First, Then Nonsocial Control, Then Unfamiliar Dog Interaction | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 25 Participants | 30 Participants | 55 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Hispanic or Latino | 6 Participants | 9 Participants | 15 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Not Hispanic or Latino | 19 Participants | 21 Participants | 40 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 22 Participants | 5 Participants | 27 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 3 Participants | 25 Participants | 28 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 25 participants | 30 participants | 55 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 12 Participants | 12 Participants | 24 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 13 Participants | 18 Participants | 31 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk | EG002 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 55 | 0 / 54 | 0 / 55 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 55 | 0 / 54 | 0 / 55 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 55 | 0 / 54 | 0 / 55 |
Outcome results
Primary
Salivary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve
Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi).
Time frame: baseline, 15 minutes
Population: All study participants for whom saliva samples were available for analysis
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pet Dog Interaction | Salivary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve | -3.03 pg/mL x minutes | Standard Error 1.59 |
| Unfamiliar Dog Interaction | Salivary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve | -3.83 pg/mL x minutes | Standard Error 1.67 |
| Toys Interaction | Salivary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve | -5.57 pg/mL x minutes | Standard Error 1.73 |
Comparison: Bayesian multilevel model of area under the curve with respect to initial value (AUCi) as a function of experimental condition.90% CI: [-1.29, 6.38]
Comparison: Bayesian multilevel model of area under the curve with respect to initial value (AUCi) as a function of experimental condition.90% CI: [-2.18, 5.45]
Comparison: Bayesian multilevel model of area under the curve with respect to initial value (AUCi) as a function of experimental condition.90% CI: [-4.93, 2.83]
Primary
Urinary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve
Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi).
Time frame: baseline, 50 minutes
Population: All children with urine samples available for analysis
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pet Dog Interaction | Urinary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve | 0.261 pg/ml x minutes | Standard Error 0.372 |
| Unfamiliar Dog Interaction | Urinary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve | -0.219 pg/ml x minutes | Standard Error 0.366 |
| Toys Interaction | Urinary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve | -0.180 pg/ml x minutes | Standard Error 0.407 |
Comparison: Bayesian multilevel model of area under the curve with respect to initial value (AUCi) as a function of experimental condition.90% CI: [-0.476, 1.211]
Comparison: Bayesian multilevel model of area under the curve with respect to initial value (AUCi) as a function of experimental condition.90% CI: [-0.931, 0.803]
Comparison: Bayesian multilevel model of area under the curve with respect to initial value (AUCi) as a function of experimental condition.90% CI: [-1.319, 0.445]
Secondary
Salivary Cortisol, Area Under the Curve
Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi).
Time frame: baseline, 50 minutes
Population: All participants with saliva samples available for analysis
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pet Dog Interaction | Salivary Cortisol, Area Under the Curve | -99.7 pg/mL x minutes | Standard Error 20.2 |
| Unfamiliar Dog Interaction | Salivary Cortisol, Area Under the Curve | -221.1 pg/mL x minutes | Standard Error 70.1 |
| Toys Interaction | Salivary Cortisol, Area Under the Curve | -103.0 pg/mL x minutes | Standard Error 29.2 |
Comparison: Bayesian multilevel model of area under the curve with respect to initial value (AUCi) as a function of experimental condition.90% CI: [-101, 99.5]
Comparison: Bayesian multilevel model of area under the curve with respect to initial value (AUCi) as a function of experimental condition.90% CI: [-225, -15.5]
Comparison: Bayesian multilevel model of area under the curve with respect to initial value (AUCi) as a function of experimental condition.90% CI: [-223, -16.2]
Secondary
Urinary Vasopressin, Area Under the Curve
Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi).
Time frame: baseline, 50 minutes
Population: unable to complete assay for this outcome