Animals and Stress 1
Running head: ANIMALS AND STRESS
Companion Animals Lower Stress Levels
Christine Capwell, Corinne Moshier, David Rando,
Kim Purtell, Lisa Parker, Nabil Nuh
Broome Community College
Companion Animals Lower Stress Levels
The presence of an animal can decrease the stress level of a human being. Stress effects several people around the world and is commonly found in college students. An increase in heart rate is one indicator of stress or a stressful situation. Animals have been found in several studies to lower the heart rate of a human when presented to them. Stress is a common problem with people; therefore, animals are beneficial in providing a quick stress relief.
REFERENCES
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The authors of this study surveyed adolescents who were both male and female to compare how bonded they were with their pets. The results showed that girls bond and grieve more for pets than boys do. It is also shown that older children are not as sad about pets dying as younger children. However, this information cannot be proven to be true, since the boys and older children may feel the same but they do not want to admit it.
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At the University of Wisconsin Children’s Hospital in 1996, they began an experiment with the hopes of finding an alternative “play time” activity for the young patients that would help them to deal with the common stresses, anxieties, and fears that come with being hospitalized. Pet-facilitated therapy has helped people to gain self-esteem, gain independence, and decrease loneliness and anxiety. Thirty children participated in a pet-facilitated therapy session where they encountered canine friends for a short period each day. The improved mood and overall behaviors of the children after their pet therapy sessions further support our point that animals can change mood after a short period of time.
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The authors studied the roles of animals in the lives of people to determine whether animals would be harmful or helpful to an individual. It was shown that pets can be therapeutic for people and can help by giving them a companion who is always there with them. There are some people who have had unpleasant experiences with pets at an early age, which affects his or her relationship with animals later in life. This study showed that animals can be used therapeutically, but the person must have their background checked to be sure it will help him or her.
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In this study, 938 people who were on Medicare were studied for one year, with regard to their "physician utilization behavior". Their characteristics and health status were used as baselines during this one-year period that they were watched. According to the data, those with pets went to the doctor's office less than those without pets.This shows that dog owners wereless likely to be impacted by the stressful events in theirlifetimes. Dog owners spent a lot of time with their pets and thought very highly of them.
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The University of Northern Iowa began an experiment to find a relationship between physical contact with a cat and dog and the affect that it has on the subject’s blood pressure. Through an experiment with sixty-two participants (28 males and 34 females) the experiment also aimed to show a difference in results for the different genders. Although their results for gender difference did not support their thesis, the results reflected a gradual reduction in both blood pressure and pulse rate. The results show a definite relationship between the presence of an animal and the subject’s blood pressure and pulse.
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The authors have determined that stress can cause many health consequences for people, which is why it is a good idea for people to find a way to relieve their stress. Stress can effect the memory of older people and younger people. It makes it harder for people to pay attention to something when they are trying to process it. The study showed that people who took subjective tests to determine how stressful they think their lives are have been associated with poorer decision making. Stress can cause problems for people, which is why it is a good idea for someone with a stressful life to own a pet.
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In the article,the studydemonstrated the numerous positive effects of pets in the workplace. There were 193 employees from thirty-one different companies that allowed pets at work who were asked to fill-outquestionnaires. The study showed that the employees were less stressed and felt a positive effect from having the animals there with them at work. The employees that owned and were able to bring their pets to work were more positive and harder working than those who did not.
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Gender differences play a key factor in most experiments. When looking at pictures, men and women have different reactions to them. In an experiment, men and women were shown eighteen random pictures to see the different reactions between genders. Studies show that women are much more sensitive than men are to painful experiences. The neural structures that women use are different than the structures for men, which explains why they feel different emotions for the same things.