Influence of Dogs on Learning in Children

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Learning; Human-animal Interaction
• Interventions: Other: Human-dog interaction; Other: Stuffed toy dog

• Registration Number: NCT02992626
• Lead Sponsor: Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute

Brief Summary

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

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2016-05
• Study First Submitted: 2016-12-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-12-12
• Study First Posted: 2016-12-14
• Primary Completion: 2017-09
• Study Completion: 2017-09
• Status Verified: 2018-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2018-05-07
• Last Update Posted: 2018-05-08

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

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

Exclusion Criteria

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

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
starting with control	Stuffed toy dog	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.
starting with dog	Human-dog interaction	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.
starting with dog	Stuffed toy 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.
starting with control	Human-dog interaction	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.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
VLMT (Verbaler Lern- und Merkfähigkeitstest)	20 Minutes	Number of remembered items within the test

Secondary Outcome Measures

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