Petting Dogs Was Supposed To Lower Stress—Scientists Found Something Else
Summary
A University of Innsbruck study found that dog owners who touched their dogs during a break after one stressful task showed weaker biological stress responses during a second task. The researchers did not find that touching the dogs improved immediate recovery after the first task.Key Facts
- The study included 64 dog owners, with an average age of 34; 51 participants were women and 13 were men.
- Participants completed a timed general knowledge quiz and a mental arithmetic task while receiving negative feedback from a researcher.
- In one test block, participants could stroke, pet, or hold their dogs; in another, they could see and talk to their dogs but could not touch them.
- Participants who touched their dogs during a five-minute break showed weaker biological stress responses during the next task.
- Brain recordings showed higher alpha-wave activity during the second task among participants who had touched their dogs.
- Participants’ reported feelings of stress did not always match their biological responses.
- The study appeared in the journal Biological Psychology.
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