Table of Contents
Foreword by Judith Solomon
Foreword by Sir Patrick Bateson
1 The Mysterious Relationship Between Humans and Animals
2 Why Humans Are Willing and Able to Relate to Animals: The Perspective of Evolutionary Biology
The Comparative Biologist Approach
Human Biophilia and Interest in Animals
The Mechanistic Base of Human-Animal Companionship
Sociocognitive Matching by Domestication
Which Companion Animal?
3 Effects of Human-Animal Interaction on Health, Social Interaction, Mood, Autonomous Nervous System, and Hormones
Introduction
Positive Health Effects
Improvement of Positive Social Attention from Others and Stimulation of Social Behavior
Improved Learning
Empathic Skills
Reduction of Fear and Anxiety and Promotion of Calmness
Increased Trust and Trustworthiness
Positive Mood and Reduction of Depression
Improved Pain Management
Reduction of Aggression
Physiological Effects
Conclusion
4 Physiology of Relationships: The Integrative Function of Oxytocin
The Fight or Flight Reaction and the Relaxation and Growth or the Calm and Connection Reaction
The Morphology of the Oxytocinergic System
Oxytocin Receptors
The Function of the Oxytocinergic System
Clinical Disorders
Release of Oxytocin in Animals
Human Models of Oxytocin Release
Examples of Functional Consequences
Generalized Oxytocin Effects Beyond Mother-Infant Dyads
Oxytocin and Human-Animal Interaction
5 Interpersonal Human Relationships: Attachment and Caregiving
Introduction
Attachment and Caregiving: Descriptions
Excursus: Behavioral Systems
Behavioral Systems: Attachment and Caregiving
The Attachment System
The Caregiving System
Distribution of Attachment and Caregiving Patterns
Effects of Insecure and Disorganized Attachment Patterns
Linking Attachment and Caregiving to Social Support
The Transmission of Attachment and Caregiving to Close Relationships
Fully Developed Attachment and Caregiving Relationships
Versus Openness to Securely Attach
6 Connecting Attachment and Caregiving with Their Physiological Base
Introduction
Attachment and Neuroendocrinological Systems
Physiological Reaction Patterns and Caregiving Styles
7 Human-Animal Relationships: Attachment and Caregiving
Introduction
Can Human-Animal Relationships Be Conceptualized as Attachment Relationships?
Can Human-Animal Relationships Be Conceptualized as Caregiving Relationships?
The Connection Between Attachment and Caregiving Behavior
"Insecure" and Nonattached Relationships Between Human and Animals
Attachment and Caregiving: The Animal Part
8 Bringing the Strands Together: The Physiology of Attachment and Caregiving in Human-Animal Relationships
Physiological and Endocrine Patterns Underlying Attachment and Caregiving in Human-Animal Relationships
An Explanation for the Health-Promoting Effects of Human-Animal Interactions
9 Practical Implications for Therapy
Therapeutical Implications
The Animal-Therapist Relationship as Precondition for
Animal-Assisted Interventions
The Selection of a Therapy Animal
Potential Risks of Animal-Assisted Interventions for Humans and Animals
The Health-Promoting Potential of Companion Animals in Society
References