RESUMEN
Resumen Las mujeres parecen presentar más respuestas de afecto positivo hacia los animales. Sin embargo, hombres y mujeres refieren tener un vínculo intenso con sus mascotas. Los estudios sobre el tema han recibido diversos cuestionamientos. Considerando esto, se realizó un estudio descriptivo que comparó hombres y mujeres adultos custodios de perros (n=425) en tres grupos etarios (i.e., jóvenes, mediana edad y mayores), en seis dimensiones relacionales (i.e., interacción, cercanía emocional, costos, antropomorfismo, voluntad de adaptación y beneficios). Las mujeres mostraron mayores puntajes de cercanía emocional y antropomorfismo. Además, solo los hombres jóvenes mostraron mayor percepción de costos que las mujeres jóvenes. No se observaron diferencias en las demás dimensiones de acuerdo con el sexo del custodio. Se discute la significancia de los resultados considerando algunos aspectos sociocognitivos potencialmente implicados.
Abstract Women seem to show more positive affection responses toward animals. However, men and women reported having an intense bond with their pets. Studies on the topic have been questioned for different reasons. Taking this into account, a descriptive study was carried out, comparing adult male and female dog-owners (n=425) belonging to three age groups (i.e., young, middle-aged, and seniors), in six relational dimensions (i.e., interaction, emotional closeness, costs, anthropomorphism, will to adapt, and benefits). Women scored higher in emotional closeness and anthropomorphism. Only young men showed a greater perception of costs than young women. No differences were observed regarding the sex of the dog-owner in the other dimensions. The article discusses the significance of the results, considering some potentially involved socio-cognitive aspects.
Resumo As mulheres parecem apresentar mais respostas de afeto positivo aos animais. Contudo, homens e mulheres referem ter um vínculo intenso com seus animais de estimação. Os estudos sobre o tema vêm recebendo diversos questionamentos. Nesse sentido, foi realizado um estudo descritivo que comparou homens e mulheres adultos donos de cães (n=425) em três grupos etários (jovens, idade média e mais velhos), em seis dimensões relacionais (interação, aproximação emocional, custos, antropomorfismo, vontade de adaptação e benefícios). As mulheres mostraram maiores pontuações de aproximação emocional e antropomorfismo. Além disso, somente os homens jovens mostraram maior percepção de custos que as mulheres jovens. Não foram observadas diferenças nas demais dimensões de acordo com o sexo do dono. Foi discutida a significância dos resultados considerando alguns aspectos sociocognitivos potencialmente implicados.
RESUMEN
El perro (Canis familiaris) ha sido la primera especie domesticada por el hombre como resultado de un proceso interactivo de miles de años, el cual produjo relaciones de competencia, cooperación y coevolución. Durante este proceso, los perros han adquirido habilidades comunicativas que favorecieron su relación con los humanos, la cual representa una expresión de apego. El rol de la oxitocina ha sido destacado en la formación de los vínculos de apego y en los comportamientos prosociales que facilitan las relaciones intraespecies. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de las investigaciones focalizadas en los efectos de la oxitocina sobre las interacciones entre humanos y perros. Se discuten los resultados en función de hallazgos de investigaciones referidas a la oxitocina y sus efectos intraespecies, así como en función de desarrollos en Antrozoología en general. Se destaca el posible rol de la oxitocina en distintos aspectos del vínculo humano-perro, como el efecto mascota, la cercanía emocional, el antropomorfismo y las respuestas a las características neoténicas. Finalmente, se describen posibles campos de investigación.
Dog (Canis familiaris) has been the first species to be domesticated by humans. This was the result of an interactive process that took place throughout thousands of years and led to competence, cooperation and coevolution relationships. Through a convergent evolution process, dogs have been able to acquire social abilities, similar to those of humans, which enabled particular communication ways between the two species. Dogs' remarkable ability to understand human social and communicative behaviors (even better than genetically related species, such as primates) favored their relationship with humans. Although some debate arose about the accuracy of the concept attachment, evidence of the most recent investigations on behavioral and endocrine responses in human-dog interactions have supported the idea that this relationship represents an expression of attachment. The oxytocin role has stood out in the formation of attachment bonds and in prosocial behavior that encourages intraspecies relationships. It achieves this by inducing maternal behaviors in a persistent fashion, influencing on pairing and increasing interpersonal trust through eye contact, empathy, etc. Moreover, the participation of oxytocin in the social bond processes is complex, as it has shown to play multiple roles. Oxytocin influences on the stress by reducing the cortisol levels, modulates the amygdala activity linked to fear, and increases the pain threshold, among other actions. Research in the human-animal interaction field, or Anthrozoology, has highlighted the companion animals' contribution to people wellbeing and particularly the buffering effect on daily life stress. The idea that living with an animal can have a positive influence on human health has been called pet effect and has been studied understanding physiological, psychosocial and therapeutic aspects. We carried out a systematic bibliographic review of the empiric studies about human-dog interactions in which oxytocin levels were assessed or oxytocin was administered, in dogs and / or humans. We present the employed procedures and the main results, and analyze the limitations and relevance of the investigations' findings, as well as their consistencies and contradictions. The results are discussed in function of the findings related to oxytocin and its intraspecies effects, and also in function of the development in Anthrozoology in general. The possible role of the oxytocin in the different aspects of the human-dog relationship is analyzed. Among these aspects we highlight: the pet effect, and the reported benefits of the relationship human-companion dog, mainly related to a decrease in stress symptoms; anthropomorphism and the mental states attribution necessary so that pet keeping makes sense; and the cute response, which implies an instinctive reaction to give parental care as a response to the infantile scheme, thought to be involved in the origin of pet keeping. The oxytocin role as an underlying neuroendocrine substrate that explains the benefits of the positive social experience that implies the human-dog bond and promotes the strengthening of this reciprocate and shared bond is emphasized. Finally, new lines of investigation are considered, such as the empiric study of the relationship of this neurohormone with the anthropomorphism and the response to the infantile scheme. We lay stress on the importance of developing studies with samples that include humans and dogs of different ages, with the object of assessing the influence of age on the response to oxytocin. We also make a point of the relevance of carrying out comparisons in relation to the human and dog gender, which has been usually controlled rather that investigated. Furthermore, we discuss the validity of the techniques employed to measure and administer the oxytocin. We make recommendations about these techniques and their use for considering the investigations goals. We highlight the least invasive methods such as the urine oxytocin measure, which are related to a more spontaneous behaviors and are more in agreement with animal welfare.