Sandra Mccune
Biographic Data
| ID | 114510 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sandra Mccune |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sandra |
| FAMILY NAME | Mccune |
| SIGNATURE | MCCUNE S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 32 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 12 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2019 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Introduction to the Themed Issue on Human-Animal Interaction and Healthy Human Aging
In 2016, the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) developed a research focus on the benefits and potential risks associated with pets among older adults. With the goal of developing a roadmap for human–animal interaction (HAI) research in older people residing in both the community and institutions, GSA convened a workshop of international experts and policy-makers in the fields of aging and HAI. The status of current knowledge was shared on t…
Social capital and pet ownership – A tale of four cities
Pet ownership is significantly associated with higher levels of social capital.•Social capital was associated with pet ownership in the U.S. and Australia.•Results are not confined to dog owners nor dog walkers.•Pets are an under-recognized conduit for building social capital
Current challenges to research on animal-assisted interventions
Studies of the effects of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs) face a number of theoretical and practical challenges. Proposed theoretical processes for the effects of AAIs include those that address primarily the animal’s ability to facilitate human–human social engagement, those that emphasize animals’ apparent capacity to trigger social attachments and provide nonhuman social support, those that categorize certain animals as supernormal stimul…
Introduction to a thematic series on animal assisted interventions in special populations
Despite the lack of a strong evidence base, Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs) are becoming increasingly popular as a therapeutic tool for special populations with a variety of psychological and physical conditions. This paper introduces a special series of articles which address the proposed theories and processes underpinning potential effects of AAIs. We recommend strategies for improving the evidence base of AAIs giving specific examples in…
Perceptions of Dogs in the Workplace
With growing interest in the value of animal companionship to human health, and increasing business awareness of promoting work-based health innovations and improving employees’ feelings of support, there has been a rise in interest about allowing dogs in the workplace (e.g., “Take your dog to work day” initiative; Pet Sitters International, 2015). However, there is little scientific literature about the advantages or disadvantages of such practi…
The association between dog walking, physical activity and owner’s perceptions of safety
This multi-site international study provides further support for the potential for dog walking to increase levels of daily physical activity. Walking with a dog may be a mechanism for increasing perceptions of neighborhood safety and getting to know the neighborhood, however significant between-country differences exist. Further international research is required to understand the drivers for these between-country differences. Community based pro…
The Pet Factor - Companion Animals as a Conduit for Getting to Know People, Friendship Formation and Social Support
BACKGROUND: While companion animals have been previously identified as a direct source of companionship and support to their owners, their role as a catalyst for friendship formation or social support networks among humans has received little attention. This study investigated the indirect role of pets as facilitators for three dimensions of social relatedness; getting to know people, friendship formation and social support networks. METHODS: A t…
Sociality Motivation and Anthropomorphic Thinking about Pets
Sociality motivation, the need to feel socially connected with others, has been proposed as an important determinant of individual variation in anthropomorphic thinking. Specifically, it has been suggested that people who are socially isolated or disconnected will tend to infer more human-like mental states in animals and other nonhuman agents (computers, robots, metaphysical beings, etc.), than those who have higher levels of contact with other …
A cross-sectional study of frequency and factors associated with dog walking in 9–10 year old children in Liverpool, UK
Promotion of supervised walking of suitable pet dogs may be an opportunity for increasing physical activity in 9-10 year old children. The identification of stronger attachment to dogs regularly walked is similar to findings in adult studies
Pet's Presence and Owner's Blood Pressures during the Daily Lives of Pet Owners with Pre- to Mild Hypertension
As the population ages the number of older adults living with hypertension (HTN) is rising dramatically. Uncontrolled HTN increases cardiovascular and renal mortality. Ambulatory (A) blood pressure (BP) is a better predictor of HTN-related morbidity and mortality than office BP. Lower BP is the most important therapeutic goal in treating HTN. Any reduction in BP has significant benefits for older adults. The current study was designed to evaluate…
Effects of Animal-Assisted Activities with Guinea Pigs in the Primary School Classroom
This study investigated the effects of a classroom-based animal-assisted activities (AAA) program with guinea pigs on the social functioning of primary school children. We hypothesized that participants in the experimental condition (n = 64), compared with a waitlist control group (n = 64), would demonstrate improvements in social functioning following the program. Parents and teachers used the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) to evaluate the s…
Family Pet Ownership during Childhood
In developed nations, approximately half of household environments contain pets. Studies of Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) have proposed that there are health benefits and risks associated with pet ownership. However, accurately demonstrating and understanding these relationships first requires a better knowledge of factors associated with ownership of different pet types. A UK birth cohort, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (AL…
Pet's Presence and Owner's Blood Pressures during the Daily Lives of Pet Owners with Pre- to Mild Hypertension
As the population ages the number of older adults living with hypertension (HTN) is rising dramatically. Uncontrolled HTN increases cardiovascular and renal mortality. Ambulatory (A) blood pressure (BP) is a better predictor of HTN-related morbidity and mortality than office BP. Lower BP is the most important therapeutic goal in treating HTN. Any reduction in BP has significant benefits for older adults. The current study was designed to evaluate…
Effects of Animal-Assisted Activities with Guinea Pigs in the Primary School Classroom
This study investigated the effects of a classroom-based animal-assisted activities (AAA) program with guinea pigs on the social functioning of primary school children. We hypothesized that participants in the experimental condition (n = 64), compared with a waitlist control group (n = 64), would demonstrate improvements in social functioning following the program. Parents and teachers used the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) to evaluate the s…
Sociality Motivation and Anthropomorphic Thinking about Pets
Sociality motivation, the need to feel socially connected with others, has been proposed as an important determinant of individual variation in anthropomorphic thinking. Specifically, it has been suggested that people who are socially isolated or disconnected will tend to infer more human-like mental states in animals and other nonhuman agents (computers, robots, metaphysical beings, etc.), than those who have higher levels of contact with other …
Perceptions of Dogs in the Workplace
With growing interest in the value of animal companionship to human health, and increasing business awareness of promoting work-based health innovations and improving employees’ feelings of support, there has been a rise in interest about allowing dogs in the workplace (e.g., “Take your dog to work day” initiative; Pet Sitters International, 2015). However, there is little scientific literature about the advantages or disadvantages of such practi…
Introduction to the Themed Issue on Human-Animal Interaction and Healthy Human Aging
In 2016, the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) developed a research focus on the benefits and potential risks associated with pets among older adults. With the goal of developing a roadmap for human–animal interaction (HAI) research in older people residing in both the community and institutions, GSA convened a workshop of international experts and policy-makers in the fields of aging and HAI. The status of current knowledge was shared on t…
Family Pet Ownership during Childhood
In developed nations, approximately half of household environments contain pets. Studies of Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) have proposed that there are health benefits and risks associated with pet ownership. However, accurately demonstrating and understanding these relationships first requires a better knowledge of factors associated with ownership of different pet types. A UK birth cohort, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (AL…
A cross-sectional study of frequency and factors associated with dog walking in 9–10 year old children in Liverpool, UK
Promotion of supervised walking of suitable pet dogs may be an opportunity for increasing physical activity in 9-10 year old children. The identification of stronger attachment to dogs regularly walked is similar to findings in adult studies
Pet's Presence and Owner's Blood Pressures during the Daily Lives of Pet Owners with Pre- to Mild Hypertension
As the population ages the number of older adults living with hypertension (HTN) is rising dramatically. Uncontrolled HTN increases cardiovascular and renal mortality. Ambulatory (A) blood pressure (BP) is a better predictor of HTN-related morbidity and mortality than office BP. Lower BP is the most important therapeutic goal in treating HTN. Any reduction in BP has significant benefits for older adults. The current study was designed to evaluate…
Effects of Animal-Assisted Activities with Guinea Pigs in the Primary School Classroom
This study investigated the effects of a classroom-based animal-assisted activities (AAA) program with guinea pigs on the social functioning of primary school children. We hypothesized that participants in the experimental condition (n = 64), compared with a waitlist control group (n = 64), would demonstrate improvements in social functioning following the program. Parents and teachers used the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) to evaluate the s…
Sociality Motivation and Anthropomorphic Thinking about Pets
Sociality motivation, the need to feel socially connected with others, has been proposed as an important determinant of individual variation in anthropomorphic thinking. Specifically, it has been suggested that people who are socially isolated or disconnected will tend to infer more human-like mental states in animals and other nonhuman agents (computers, robots, metaphysical beings, etc.), than those who have higher levels of contact with other …
The Pet Factor - Companion Animals as a Conduit for Getting to Know People, Friendship Formation and Social Support
BACKGROUND: While companion animals have been previously identified as a direct source of companionship and support to their owners, their role as a catalyst for friendship formation or social support networks among humans has received little attention. This study investigated the indirect role of pets as facilitators for three dimensions of social relatedness; getting to know people, friendship formation and social support networks. METHODS: A t…
The association between dog walking, physical activity and owner’s perceptions of safety
This multi-site international study provides further support for the potential for dog walking to increase levels of daily physical activity. Walking with a dog may be a mechanism for increasing perceptions of neighborhood safety and getting to know the neighborhood, however significant between-country differences exist. Further international research is required to understand the drivers for these between-country differences. Community based pro…
Social capital and pet ownership – A tale of four cities
Pet ownership is significantly associated with higher levels of social capital.•Social capital was associated with pet ownership in the U.S. and Australia.•Results are not confined to dog owners nor dog walkers.•Pets are an under-recognized conduit for building social capital
Current challenges to research on animal-assisted interventions
Studies of the effects of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs) face a number of theoretical and practical challenges. Proposed theoretical processes for the effects of AAIs include those that address primarily the animal’s ability to facilitate human–human social engagement, those that emphasize animals’ apparent capacity to trigger social attachments and provide nonhuman social support, those that categorize certain animals as supernormal stimul…
Introduction to a thematic series on animal assisted interventions in special populations
Despite the lack of a strong evidence base, Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs) are becoming increasingly popular as a therapeutic tool for special populations with a variety of psychological and physical conditions. This paper introduces a special series of articles which address the proposed theories and processes underpinning potential effects of AAIs. We recommend strategies for improving the evidence base of AAIs giving specific examples in…
Perceptions of Dogs in the Workplace
With growing interest in the value of animal companionship to human health, and increasing business awareness of promoting work-based health innovations and improving employees’ feelings of support, there has been a rise in interest about allowing dogs in the workplace (e.g., “Take your dog to work day” initiative; Pet Sitters International, 2015). However, there is little scientific literature about the advantages or disadvantages of such practi…
Introduction to the Themed Issue on Human-Animal Interaction and Healthy Human Aging
In 2016, the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) developed a research focus on the benefits and potential risks associated with pets among older adults. With the goal of developing a roadmap for human–animal interaction (HAI) research in older people residing in both the community and institutions, GSA convened a workshop of international experts and policy-makers in the fields of aging and HAI. The status of current knowledge was shared on t…
Human-Animal Interaction Studies (12 works) · Medicine (7 works) · Psychology (7 works) · Animal welfare (5 works) · Animal-assisted therapy (4 works) · Environmental health (4 works) · Pet therapy (4 works) · Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies (3 works) · Computer Science (3 works) · Demography (3 works)