Personalized Strategy for Animal-Assisted Therapy for Individuals Based on the Emotions Induced by the Images of Different Animal Species and Breeds

• Published in: Animals
• Main Authors: Jovita Luksaite, Egle Zokaityte, Vytaute Starkute, Sonata Sidlauskiene, Gintare Zokaityte, Elena Bartkiene
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2022
• Subjects: animal species; animal breed; induced emotions; animal-assisted therapy; Likert scale; Veterinary medicine; SF600-1100; Zoology; QL1-991; samoyed*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12050597; https://doaj.org/article/d6bdcbb4ac294332bba4099aa598221e

The aim of this study was to apply the FaceReader technique to select the animal species and breed for a personalized AAT based on the emotions (‘neutral’, ‘happy’, ‘sad’, ‘angry’, ‘surprised’, ‘scared’, ‘disgusted’, and ‘contempt’) induced in the persons (18–64 years old) by the images of different animal species and breeds. To implement the aim, the images of different animal species ( Canis familiaris , Felis silvestris catus , Sus scrofa domesticus , Ovis aries , and Equus caballus ) and their breeds (dogs: Australian shepherd, pug, Labrador retriever, Doberman, miniature schnauzer, beagle, three mixed-breed types, Yorkshire terrier, Cane Corso, Samoyed, and Chihuahua; cats: British shorthair, Himalayan cat, three mixed breed types, Siamese cat, Sphynx, and Bengal cat; horses: Norwegian Fjord, Exmoor pony, Andalusian, and Friesian; pigs: Vietnamese pot-bellied and Kunekune; sheep: Herdwick sheep and Suffolk sheep) were used. This study showed that the animal species is a significant factor in the intensity of the emotions ‘neutral’ and ‘happy’ as well as valence, and the animal breed is a significant factor for the emotion ‘happy’ intensity and valence. The obtained results could be used as a personalized strategy for improving AAT and helping the individuals to select a pet.