Naoko Koda

HUMAN-DOG INTERACTIONS IN A GUIDE-DOG TRAINING PROGRAM

We analyzed dyadic interactions between 12 neutered dogs (6 females and 6 males) and 44 humans (20 women, 14 men, and 10 girls) who were unfamiliar with each other. We also examined the effect of sex differences in dogs and humans as well as age differences in humans on human-dog interactions in a guide-dog turning program. Female dogs more actively regulated their distance from humans than male dogs. Dogs made contact with women more frequently than with men, and men nude contact with dogs more frequently than women. Girls initiated interactions with dogs more frequently than women; girls formed reciprocal interactions with dogs less frequently than women.

Correspondence between children's indoor and outdoor play in Japanese preschool daily life

This study examined the correspondence between childrens indoor and outdoor play in a preschool environment to investigate whether the children maintained a tendency to engage in a particular type of play irrespective of the environment, or whether they changed the type of play according to the environment. Play behaviours of 18 three-year-old and 20 five-year-old children were observed in both settings in an urban preschool in Japan. Various characteristics of play were examined based on cognitive play categories, social play categories, and types of objects used. The results indicate that children do not maintain fixed play behaviour without taking into consideration the play settings: their play differed greatly in accordance with the play setting. Not every child showed the same differences in play corresponding to differences in the setting. However, for each age group there was a qualitative difference based on the setting. For the three-year-olds, the ‘subject of interest’ changed between settings, whereas for the five-year-olds, the ‘participation in society’ changed related to the setting (indoor or outdoor). The ‘relation with the environment’ was greater for both age groups in the outdoor setting. There were no significant sex differences.

Development of eating behavior by Japanese toddlers in a nursery school: relation to independent walking.

The eating behavior of 32 toddlers in a nursery school at 10, 12, and 14 months old was observed in relation to the age at onset of independent walking. With increasing age, the frequency at which the toddlers ate food given by a teacher decreased, and the frequency at which the toddlers ate by themselves increased. The toddlers who started walking earlier also advanced faster in the development of eating behavior. The time when the frequency of eating by oneself surpassed the frequency of passive eating coincided with the time when the toddlers started walking.

How Japanese companion dog and cat owners’ degree of attachment relates to the attribution of emotions to their animals

Recently, studies in the United States and European countries have shown that the degree of attachment is associated with the attribution of emotions to companion animals. These studies imply that investigating the degree of attachment to companion animals is a good way for researchers to explore animal emotions and then improve animal welfare. Although a promising area of study, in Japan, no empirical studies have examined the correlation between the degree of attachment and the attribution of emotions to companion animals. In this research, we aimed to assess companion animal owners’ attribution of six primary (anger, joy, sadness, disgust, fear and surprise) and four secondary (shame, jealousy, disappointment and compassion) emotions to their dogs and cats, as well as how the degree of attachment related to such attribution of emotions from a Japanese cultural perspective. The “Pet Bonding Scale” (PBS), which is used to determine the level of bonding between humans and animals, was introduced to measure respondents’ degree of attachment to their companion animals. The results of a questionnaire (N = 546) distributed throughout Japan showed that respondents attributed a wide range of emotions to their animals. Companion animals’ primary emotions, compared to secondary emotions, were more commonly attributed by their owners. The attribution of compassion and jealousy was reported at a high level (73.1% and 56.2%, respectively), which was surprising as compassion and jealousy are generally defined as secondary emotions. All participants were highly attached to their companion animals, and this attachment was positively associated with the attribution of emotions (9/10) to companion animals (all p < 0.05). This study is one of the first to investigate animal emotions by analyzing the bonding between companion animals and owners in Japan, and it can therefore provide knowledge to increase Japanese people’s awareness of animal welfare.

Stress levels in dogs, and its recognition by their handlers, during animal-assisted therapy in a prison

The stress on dogs and their handlers during animal-assisted therapy in a prison programme was evaluated using questionnaires and measurement of the dogs’ saliva cortisol concentrations before and after the sessions. Their handlers were volunteers who underwent training classes with their pet dogs. Overall, the dogs did not show serious signs of stress in the programme, which was also the impression of their handlers. In most cases, the dogs’ saliva cortisol values decreased following their participation in the sessions. There was an association between the dogs’ stress levels and the handlers’ self-reported stress. In 11% of cases, the dogs were evaluated as stressed during the session, but their saliva cortisol values did not change significantly from before to after the session. Some handlers might have misconstrued their dogs’ behavioural states. Improvement of the dogs’ welfare may be achievable through giving feedback to the handlers to more accurately evaluate their dogs’ behaviours, by strengthening the selection of appropriate units and classes prior the programme, by developing a programme and handling methods less burdensome to the animals, and by enhancing the aftercare of animals when they are stressed in a session. Achievement of these goals would also strengthen the bonds between dogs and handlers, contributing to a more effective programme for clients.

Anthropomorphism in Japanese Women's Status Terms used in Talk to Potential Guide Dogs

o socialize potential guide dogs with humans, guide dog associations run a program in which guide dog pups are placed with volunteer puppy walkers (PWs) who rear them in their homes until they are old enough for training. It is important for guide dog training to clarify the characteristics of human–dog relationships in the puppy walking program (Koda 2001a; 2001b). The attitudes of PWs toward potential guide dogs can be clarified by examining what they say to their dogs. People talk to pet dogs as if they are human (Katcher 1981; Mitchell and Edmonson 1999) and, with regard to grammatical form, the way in which adult women talk to pet dogs resembles their talk to human infants (Hirsh-Pasek and Treiman 1982). Thus, people might consider pet dogs to be anthropomorphized child-like animals. To investigate the attitudes of PWs toward potential guide dogs, interactions between PWs and their puppies were videotaped in their homes, and the ways in which PWs talked to their dogs were analyzed in terms of anthropomorphism.

Walking and Eating Behavior of Toddlers at 12 Months Old.

Locomotive and eating behavior of 52 toddlers was observed at 12 months old in a nursery school and investigated in relation to the acquisition of independent walking. The toddlers who acquired walking ate more by themselves using the hands than the toddlers who did not start walking. This suggested that acquisition of walking was associated with eating behavior. However, onset of walking did not immediately influence the toddlers’ interest in other persons or skilful ability to use tools. Sex differences in the toddlers’ behavior were minor, but the teachers showed sex bias to the toddlers’ behavior.

Assessing practical thinking of teachers for use in teacher education1,2

This study investigated practical thinking in elementary school teachers (known as invisible practice) evoked through the on-line monitoring method of thinking aloud and the off-line monitoring method of report writing, and relationships between practical thinking and teaching experience. Results indicated that during on-line monitoring, participating teachers spoke more frequently about the actions of students and the content of learning, and made more inferences. During off-line monitoring, teachers more frequently reported on the overall lesson structure and their thinking consisted of more impressions. Teaching experience influenced the perspective of participating teachers: novice teachers focused on the lesson as whole, mid-career teachers attended to teacher-student interactions, and long-career teachers focused on actions by both students and the teacher.

Relationships between Caregiving to Domestic Goats and Gender and Interest in Science

Abstract We conducted a questionnaire survey with 9- and 10-year-old children in two elementary schools which kept goats, and examined the differences in the childrens interest in animals and natural science in terms of the extent of interaction with the goats and gender. The experienced schoolchildren took care of and interacted with the goats on a daily basis, while the inexperienced schoolchildren did not take care of them. The results showed that caregiving experience made the children feel familiar with goats, and express ideas about better coexistence with goats, more than those who did not take care of them. The mere experience of caregiving for the goats did not become a strong motivation for the children to prefer natural science and pursue scientific professions. However, more girls were interested in animal-related jobs and coexistence with goats than boys. Goats could be a unique teaching resource.

Editorial: Children and Companion Animals: Psychosocial, Medical and Neurobiological Implications

This Research Topic presents experiences with companion animals provided to children in varied settings. Methods include monitoring of the ongoing interaction of children with companion animals, or conducting interviews or surveys, as well as experimental interventions where changes occurring...