Influence of Dogs on Learning in Children

Influence of Interacting With Dogs on Learning in Children

In a randomised controlled cross-over study, the influence of interacting with a dog on children's learning performance is investigated.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Learning; Human-animal Interaction
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Human-dog interaction; Other: Stuffed toy dog

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Germany
  • Aachen, Germany

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 7 years to 14 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• healthy
• 7 - 14 years old
• willingness to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

• medical or psychiatric diagnosis
• medication
• allergia (dogs)
• phobia (dogs)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: starting with dog; Participants in this arm complete the first session in the presence of a dog. The second session is under control condition in the presence of a stuffed toy dog.	Other: Human-dog interaction; The tests are completed in the presence of a dog. Further, before starting the tests, the children have 15 minutes to interact with the present dog.; Other: Stuffed toy dog; The tests are completed in the presence of a stuffed toy dog. Further, before starting the tests, the children have 15 minutes to play with the stuffed toy dog.
Experimental: starting with control; Participants in this arm complete the first session under control condition in the presence of a stuffed toy dog while the second session the tests are completed in the presence of a dog.	Other: Human-dog interaction; The tests are completed in the presence of a dog. Further, before starting the tests, the children have 15 minutes to interact with the present dog.; Other: Stuffed toy dog; The tests are completed in the presence of a stuffed toy dog. Further, before starting the tests, the children have 15 minutes to play with the stuffed toy dog.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
VLMT (Verbaler Lern- und Merkfähigkeitstest)	Number of remembered items within the test	20 Minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Digit Span (from HAWIK-IV)	Number of remembered items (auditively presented numbers)	5 Minutes
motoric task (from Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, dt. Version (K-ABC))	Number of remembered items (visually presented gestures) that can be reproduced.	5 Minutes
Heart rate/heart rate variability		60 Minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute
• Collaborators: University of Basel
• Investigators: Study Director: Karin Hediger, Dr., Swiss TPH / University of Basel

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: May 1, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 12, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 12, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): December 14, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 8, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 7, 2018
• Last Verified: May 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: HAI1