General Human-Animal Interaction

Human-animal interaction (HAI) is a broad term encompassing the interactions between people and animals, and the physical, social, and psychological outcomes of those interactions (Hosey & Melfi, 2014). These interactions may be unplanned, such as human-wildlife interactions, or intentional, such as human-companion animal interactions, humans partnering with service animals, or interactions via animal-assisted services, which are treatment, education, and/or support programs where one or more individuals interact with an animal as guided by a qualified professional (Binder et al., 2024). Animal-assisted services are one way that humans can benefit from HAI; research has demonstrated numerous benefits of human-animal interactions, including companionship, emotional and social support, decreased loneliness, lowered anxiety levels, and better mental and physical health (Fine et al., 2025). While much of the research in the human-animal interaction field focuses on human-canine and human-equine interactions, other species have also been incorporated into studies, such as cats, chickens, dolphins, and guinea pigs (e.g. McDonagh et al., 2019; Vitale et al., 2022; Wirth et al., 2020; Yerbury & Boyd, 2018). Research into human-animal interactions allows us to better understand the influence humans have on animals, and animals have on humans, paving the way for more effective, healthy, and supportive human-animal relationships.

References

Binder, A. J., Parish-Plass, N., Kirby, M., Winkle, M., Skwerer, D. P., Ackerman, L., Brosig, C., Coombe, W., Delisle, E., Enders-Slegers, M., Fowler, J., Hey, L., Howell, T., Kaufmann, M., Kienast, M., Kinoshita, M., Ngai, D., & Wijnen, B. (2024). Recommendations for uniform terminology in animal-assisted services (AAS). Human-Animal Interactions, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2024.0003

Fine, A. H., Beck, A. M., & Arkow, P. (2025). Understanding out kinship with animals. In A. H. Fine, M. K. Mueller, Z. Y. Ng, T. C. Griffin, & P. Tedeschi (Eds.), Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy (Sixth Edition) (pp. 3-120). Elsevier.

Hosey, G., & Melfi, V. (2014). Human-animal interactions, relationships and bonds: A review and analysis of the literature. International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 27(1), 117-142.

McDonagh, A., Leibler, J. H., Mukherjee, J., Thachil, A., Goodman, L. B., Riekofski, C., Nee, A., Smyth, K., Forrester, J., & Rosenbaum, M. H. (2019). Frequent human‐poultry interactions and low prevalence of Salmonella in backyard chicken flocks in Massachusetts. Zoonoses and Public Health, 66(1), 92–100. https://doi.org/10.1111/zph.12538

Vitale, K. R., Frank, D. H., Conroy, J., & Udell, M. A. R. (2022). Cat Foster Program Outcomes: Behavior, Stress, and Cat–Human Interaction. Animals (Basel), 12(17), 2166-. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12172166

Wirth, S., Gebhardt-Henrich, S., Riemer, S., Hattendorf, J., Zinsstag, J., & Hediger, K. (2020). The influence of human interaction on guinea pigs: Behavioral and thermographic changes during animal-assisted therapy. Physiology & Behavior, 225, 113076–113076. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113076

Yerbury, R. M., & Boyd, W. E. (2018). Human-Dolphin Interactions: Relationships, Connections, and the Reinforcement of an Ongoing Nature Relationship. Anthrozoös, 31(4), 443–458. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2018.1482116

Our Research

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Nieforth, L.O. & Leighton, S.C. (2024). Animal-Assisted Interventions for Military Families:
A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1372189


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Nieforth, L.O., Leighton, S.C., Miller, E.A. & O’Haire, M.E. (2022). Survey of international academic centers and institutes focused on human-animal bond: Scope and landscape in 2021. Human Animal Interactions. https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2022.0026


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Leighton, S.C., Nieforth, L.O., Griffin, T.C., O’Haire, M.E. (2022). Researcher-practitioner interaction: collaboration to advance the field of human-animal interaction. Human-Animal Interactions. https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2022.0025


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Howell, T.J., Nieforth, L.,Thomas-Pino, C., Samet, L., Agbonika, S., Cuervas-Pavincich, F., Ekholm Fry, N., Hill, K., Jegatheesan, B., Kakinuma, M., Macnamara, M., Mattila-Rautiainen, S., Perry, A., Tardif-Williams, C., Walsh, E., Winkle, M., Yamamoto, M., Yerbury, R., Rawat, V…Bennett, P. (2022) Defining commonly used terms for animals working in support roles for vulnerable people. Animals. doi: 10.3390/ani12151975


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Nieforth, L.O., Schwichtenberg, A.J. & O’Haire, M.E. (2023). Animal assisted interventions for autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of the literature from 2016-2020. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi: 10.1007/s40489-021-00291-6


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Nieforth, L.O. & O’Haire, M.E. (2020). The role of pets in managing uncertainty from COVID-19. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. doi: 10.1037/tra0000678