Depression is a common, debilitating disorder that is often treated using behavioral activation (BA), which includes identification and scheduling of pleasant activities. Owning a pet appears to be a viable source of pleasant activities, though current BA tools do not extensively consider these activities. The present study aimed to develop the Pet-Related Events and Tasks Scale (PETS) to determine what activities of pet ownership are pleasant and may be used in BA. Various methods were used to generate items (i.e., focus groups, surveys, and adaptation of existing event schedule items) and revise the developing PETS (i.e., cognitive interviews and expert review). Initial data collection on the developing PETS resulted in a small, homogeneous sample that concluded prematurely due to changes in engagement in pet-related activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home orders. Despite limited data collection, various future directions exist for the developing PETS.

This quasi-experimental field study tested the psychosocial effects of a forensic human-animal interaction (HAI) program on prison inmates. The study assessed the impact of the HAI program using both between-subject and within-subject methods and analyses. A total of 54 male inmates participated in the research by completing self-report measures, keeping journals, and allowing researchers access to their institutional files. In general, it was hypothesized the HAI program would result in positive psychosocial outcomes for inmates. Dependent measures included inmate self-reported treatment level within the prison's therapeutic community, frequency of institutional infractions, and scores from self-report measures assessing social skills, inmate perception of the prison environment, optimism, mood disturbance, and HAI. Between-subject analyses compared a sample of the participants (n = 48) in a pretest-posttest repeated-measures design, comparing a Treatment group of participants in the HAI program with a Control group of participants on the waiting list for the program. Results indicated that the HAI program was associated with increased treatment progress in the therapeutic community, improvement or maintenance of social sensitivity, and improved scores on a measure of transient depressed mood. Hypotheses regarding institutional infractions, perceptions of the prison environment, and optimism were not supported. The within-subject portion of the research consisted of evaluating the relationship between daily HAI and mood with a smaller group of participants (n = 6) who completed journals in a single-subject repeated-measures fashion. Results suggested mood was differentially related to HAI for Treatment and Control group participants. Findings are discussed in relation to proximal versus distal outcomes of HAI and suggestions are made for future research. / Ph. D.

Mental health practitioners who incorporate animal-assisted interventions into clinical practice harness the human-animal bond for therapeutic benefit. According to the Animal-Assisted Therapy in Counseling Competencies, practitioners have a duty to understand the complex relational processes within animal-assisted interventions in counseling (AAI-C). These bonding processes may resemble that of an attachment bond in which the client desires to maintain closeness to the practitioner and therapy animal as a result of feeling safe and secure. Researchers studying attachment in the human-animal bond have stated that attachment processes may occur within other human-animal relationships, such as between a guardian and a companion animal. However, there is no empirical research on the attachment processes occurring between humans and therapy animals in AAI-C or how these processes affect the bond between the practitioner and client. A component of the working alliance, maintaining a quality bond can improve treatment outcomes in counseling. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine how attachment to a therapy animal impacts the attachment bond between a mental health practitioner and client. Participants completed an online survey with four measures to study the following: (a) client attachment to the therapy animal, (b) practitioner attachment to the therapy animal, (c) the bond between the practitioner and client, and (d) the impact of utilizing an animal in counseling sessions. Data analyses included a multiple regression to determine how practitioners' perceptions of the attachment processes within AAI-C best explain the bond with their clients. Descriptive analysis revealed that practitioners perceived high quality bonding within AAI-C, particularly in their own attachment to the therapy animal. Results of the multiple regression indicated practitioners' attachment to the therapy animal was a significant predictor of the working alliance and bond between the practitioner and client. Practitioners who perceived themselves as extremely skilled in working with the clients' presenting issue also had a statistically significant effect on the working alliance and bond when compared to practitioners who felt less skilled. Implications for practitioners and counselor educators are provided. Limitations and areas of future research are also discussed. / Doctor of Philosophy / Mental health practitioners who incorporate animal-assisted interventions into clinical practice harness the human-animal bond for therapeutic benefit. According to the Animal-Assisted Therapy in Counseling Competencies, practitioners have a duty to understand the complex relational processes within animal-assisted interventions in counseling (AAI-C). These bonding processes may resemble that of an attachment bond in which the client desires to maintain closeness to the practitioner and therapy animal as a result of feeling safe and secure. Researchers studying attachment in the human-animal bond have stated that attachment processes may occur within other human-animal relationships, such as between a guardian and a companion animal. However, there is no practical research on the attachment processes occurring between humans and therapy animals in AAI-C or how these processes affect the bond between the practitioner and client. A component of the working alliance, maintaining a quality bond, can improve treatment outcomes in counseling. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine how attachment to a therapy animal impacts the attachment bond between a mental health practitioner and client. Participants completed an online survey with four measures to study the following: (a) client attachment to the therapy animal, (b) practitioner attachment to the therapy animal, (c) the bond between the practitioner and client, and (d) the impact of utilizing an animal in counseling sessions. Data analyses included a multiple regression to determine how practitioners’ perceptions of the attachment processes within AAI-C best explain the bond with their clients. Descriptive statistics revealed that practitioners perceived high quality bonding within AAI-C, particularly in their own attachment to the therapy animal. Results of the multiple regression indicated practitioners’ attachment to the therapy animal influenced the working alliance and bond between the practitioner and client. Practitioners who perceived themselves as extremely skilled in working with the clients’ presenting issue also had an effect on the working alliance and bond when compared to practitioners who felt less skilled. Implications for practitioners and counselor educators are provided. Limitations and areas of future research are also discussed.

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- Lincoln University, 2008. / Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D)--University of Washington, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-146).

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie studie handel oor die ontwerp van 'n post traumatiese terapie deur die opvoedkundige sielkundige waar troeteldiere as fasiliteerder ingespan kan word. Dit fokus op getraumatiseerdes wat na afloop van 'n trauma in 'n post traumatiese situasie verkeer, en nie klinies aan die diagnose van post traumatiese stres versteuring voldoen nie. Die ontwerp van die terapie val in vier fases uiteen wat nie noodwendig streng chronologies in terapie hoef te verloop nie. Eerstens is daar die affektiewe fase wat handel oor die bantering van emosies. Tweedens fokus die kognitiewe fase op kognitiewe herstrukturering by die getraumatiseerde en veral die internalisering daarvan. Die fase van voorraadopname maak voorsiening vir die identifisering van psigologiese gestremdhede en sterker modaliteite van die getraumatiseerde. Die kompensatoriese fase handel oor die ontwerp van 'n aksieplan vir die sinvolle voortsetting van die getraumatiseerde se lewe asook inoefeningsaspekte daarvan. Die terapeutiese ontwerp het beslag gekry na 'n uitgebreide literatuurstudie van verskeie terapeutiese skole se post traumatiese terapiee en tegnieke. Oorhoofs word bogenoemde ontwerp in die relasieterapie ingebed. Hierdie terapie le besondere klem op die kompensatoriese fase met die oog op adekwate aktualisering van die getraumatiseerde in sy toekomstige gesitueerdheid. Alhoewel daar 'n uitgebreide beskrywing van troeteldier gefasiliteerde terapie volg, het die navorser slegs sekere getraumatiseerde kliente ge'identifiseer wat sat baat by troeteldier gefasiliteerde terapie. Daar is tydens die studie aandag gegee aan die ontwerp van 'n vraelys wat as operasionele metingsinstrument dien om die omvang van die trauma ten opsigte van die getraumatiseerde se filnksionering, selfgesprekke, belewenis, betekenisgewing, betrokkenheid, seltkonsep, relasies en selfaktualisering te bepaal. Fasiliteerders van die affektiewe fase sluit onder andere soos reeds genoem hierbo, troeteldiere in. Ondersoek is ingestel na die riglyne vir troeteldier gefasiliteerde terapie, en verskeie aspekte soos determinante by die getraumatiseerde vir troeteldier gefasiliteerde terapie, die aard van mens-dier interaksie, risiko's en menslike voorwaardes verbonde aan troeteldier gefasiliteerde terapie, is beskryf Tydens die empiriese ondersoek is gevind dat alhoewel die ontwerp beperkinge het, daar besliste ruimte vir troeteldier gefasiliteerde post traumatiese terapie op Sielkundige Opvoedkunde terrein bestaan / This study deals with the design of a post traumatic therapy that can be administered by the educational psychologist. Pets were used for the first time as facilitators in such a therapy. This therapy was primarily designed for persons in a post traumatic situation after an experienced trauma, who _do not ~fy foc!h<L~!i_ni~_ctl _ cri!~!"ia gf post traumatic _stress disorder. Four phases can be distinguished in the course of the therapy. This doesn't however imply a hierargical order. First of all the affective phase deals with the emotional side of the traumatised person. Secondly cognitive restructuring is taken up in the cognitive phase as well as internalization thereof The third phase of stock taking makes provision for the identification of psychological handicaps and stronger modalities of the traumatised person. A plan of action is developed in the final compensatory phase and it deals with optimal future actualization of the traumatised person. If necessary, opportunity is provided for excercising the newly required skills. This design was developed after extensive literature studies of post traumatic therapies and techniques, and it is embedded in the overall approach of relationship therapy. Strong emphasis is placed on the compensatory phase in view of the traumatised person's adequate future actualization. Although an extensive description of pet fasilitated therapy is given, only certain traumatised clients were identified who will benefit from this therapy. A questionnaire as operational measuring instrument was developed for the purpose of this study. Information as to the traumatised person's functioning, selftalk, experiences, allocation of meaning, involvement, selfconcept, relationship formation and selfactualization can be ascertained via this instrument. One of the facilitators of the affective phase, already mentioned, includes pets. A thorough study into guidelines for pet facilitated therapy, as well as aspects such as determinants of traumatised people as indication for this kind of therapy, the nature of human-animal interaction, risks and human conditions for pet facilitated therapy, was undertaken. The empirical study proved that in spite of limitations of pet facilitated post traumatic therapy, definite opportunity exists in the field of Psychology of Education for this kind of therapy / D.Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Jacques Derrida’s The Animal that Therefore I Am published posthumously first in France (2006) and then translated in English (2008) has potentially become one of the most powerful philosophical discourses on animal ethics to date. His seminal undertaking begins with a personal experience the philosopher has with his cat that one day follows him into the bathroom. What follows is a classic deconstructive reversal when Derrida, ashamed at his nudity in front of the cat, reverses the perspective and asks what the cat sees and thinks when faced with a man – a naked one at that, and how he, as a shamed human, responds to it. Using his well-established deconstructive methods Derrida weaves through the pillars of traditional philosophy and rigorously unpicks our traditional and historical thinking about how we regard animals and calls into question both the humananimal distinction as well as the latent subjectivity on the matter. It is this text primarily that I utilized in my thesis, as well as some of Derrida’s earlier influential works, to show that deconstruction is a powerful and persuasive strategy toward providing a new ethic for (other) animals. As with Derrida, my point of departure is to put traditional philosophy under the hammer by showing how deconstruction as a post-modern tool unpicks the inherent flaws within its structure. I hope to reveal that a deconstruction of the anthropocentric and logocentric attitude of humans toward other animals is necessary in providing a new ethic for (other) animals. I begin first by breaking down the traditional hierarchy of humans over (other) animals – anthropocentrism, logocentrism and ‘carnophallogocentrism’ – as well as, in a separate chapter, a deconstruction of contemporary animal rights thinkers, and replace these perceptions and theories with what Matthew Calarco called a ‘proto-ethical imperative’ (Calarco, 2008: 108), which, I argue, is a foundation stone toward a new ethic. Then, by multiplying the possibilities of an equitable co-existence between human and other animals, I chart a path toward a better understanding and approach to our relationship with non-human animals. In short, this thesis is an attempt to discover, through deconstruction, a way toward an applied (animal) ethic. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Jacques Derrida se The Animal that Therefore I Am wat postuum die eerste keer gepubliseer is in Frankryk (2006) en daarna vertaal is in Engels (2008) het potensieel een van die mees kragtige filosofiese diskoerse oor diere-etiek tot op datum geword. Sy seminale onderneming begin met 'n persoonlike ervaring wat die filosoof het met sy kat wat hom een dag in die badkamer volg. Wat daarop gebeur is 'n klassieke dekonstruktiewe omkeer toe Derrida, skaam oor sy naaktheid voor die kat, die perspektief omswaai en vra wat die kat sien en dink wanneer gekonfronteer met 'n man – en boonop nog 'n naakte man, en hoe hy, as 'n beskaamde mens, daarop reageer. Met behulp van sy goed gevestigde dekonstruktiewe metodes weef Derrida deur die pilare van die tradisionele filosofie en met sy streng ontledings ontrafel hy ons tradisionele en historiese denke oor hoe ons diere beskou, en bevraagteken hy sowel die mens-dier onderskeiding as die latente subjektiwiteit oor die aangeleentheid. Dit is hoofsaaklik hierdie teks wat ek gebruik in my tesis, sowel as 'n paar van Derrida se vroeëre invloedryke werke, om aan te toon dat dekonstruksie 'n kragtige en oortuigende strategie is om 'n nuwe etiek ten aansien van (ander) diere te voorsien. Soos by Derrida, is my uitgangspunt om tradisionele filosofie onder die hamer te plaas deur aan te toon hoe dekonstruksie as 'n post-moderne denkstrategie die inherente gebreke in sy struktuur kan blootlê. Ek hoop om aan te toon dat 'n dekonstruksie van die antroposentriese en logosentriese ingesteldheid van mense teenoor ander diere noodsaaklik is vir die formulering van 'n nuwe etiek vir (ander) diere. Ek begin deur die tradisionele hiërargie van die mens oor (ander) diere – antroposentrisme, logosentrisme en 'carnophallogosentrisme' af te breek – asook, in 'n ander hoofstuk, met 'n dekonstruksie van kontemporêre diereregtedenkers, en vervang hierdie sieninge en teorieë met wat Matthew Calarco 'n sogenaamde 'proto-etiese imperatief' noem (Calarco 2008: 108), wat ek argumenteer 'n hoeksteen is van 'n nuwe etiek. Dan, deur die moontlikhede van 'n billike mede-bestaan tussen mens en ander diere te vermenigvuldig, karteer ek 'n weg na 'n beter begrip van, en benadering tot ons verhouding met niemenslike diere. In kort, hierdie tesis is 'n poging om deur middel van dekonstruksie, 'n pad na 'n toegepaste (diere-)etiek te ontsluit.

<p>I Sverige finns drygt en miljon hundar, vilket ger siffran en hund i vart femte hushåll. Främsta syftet med föreliggande studie är att se vad som är den positivt verksamma kärnan i umgänget mellan människa och hund, utifrån vad hundägare subjektivt berättar. Enligt Grounded Theory analyserades sex djupintervjuer. Resultaten visar framförallt en Personlig vinst för den enskilde hundägaren i umgänget med sin hund. Den Personliga vinsten består av de sex delvinsterna Säkerhet, Kamratskap, Kunskap, Aktivitet, Socialt och Hälsa. En slutsats är att hunden påverkar hundägaren på ett positivt sätt, eftersom den ger en personlig vinst i form av tillfredsställelse av många av människans grundläggande behov.</p>

The Sami bear graves is an important source for archaeological research on the indigenous people of the Nordic countries. They bring stories of the past through the bones and through written sources from the 17th century. The mythological stories tell us about interactions between man and the holy creature that is the bear, and the buried bones have their own stories to tell. The aim of this study is to analyse the connection between the Sami and the bear and search for a thicker understanding about the reasons for this animal to be buried in own graves. By close readings of archaeological reports, analyses of the Sami culture and religious practices where the bear is present, and, not the least, thoughts about the fluid borders between human and animal agents, a bigger picture will emerge that explains why the bear were of such importance. This paper will thus be a contribution to the knowledge of the Sami culture and the archaeological research that has emerged over the last century.

This work deals with the difference between man and animal in the context of the theme of time as treated by Heidegger and Derrida. The starting point of the work is the critique of early Heidegger and his characterization of animal as poor in world. This critique targets his thinking of time and possibility. As first two chapters try to show, despite his basic emphasis on time and on the possibility character of human being, Heidegger still thinks time on the basis of presence and possibility on the basis of reality. Only after taking this step can he think animal privatively as meaningless or poor - in a certain absence of time. This critique results in looking for a more consistent thinking of time and possibility as a way to a more welcoming thinking of animal. The third chapter is concerned with Derrida's objections to searching for other time and it maps the main problems connected with this project of Heidegger. The next three chapters present the main analysis of Heidegger's later thought of time. The differences between his late and early thought are emphasized as the differences between his late speech Time and Being and the early work Being and Time. Heidegger in his later works explores the unity of the three-dimensional time and bewares to think it as presence. The ground of the unity...