Anthrozoology is the study of human-animal interaction. It is a modern interdisciplinary and burgeoning field that overlaps with a number of other disciplines, including anthropology

Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...

, ethology

Ethology

Ethology is the scientific study of animal behavior, and a sub-topic of zoology....

, medicine

Medicine

Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

, psychology

Psychology

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...

, veterinary medicine

Veterinary medicine

Veterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...

 and zoology

Zoology

Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...

. A major focus of anthrozoologic research is the quantifying of the positive effects of human-animal relationships on either party and the study of the reality of their interactions.

Example areas of study

• The interaction
  Interaction
  Interaction is a kind of action that occurs as two or more objects have an effect upon one another. The idea of a two-way effect is essential in the concept of interaction, as opposed to a one-way causal effect...
  
   and enhancement within captive animal
  Captivity (animal)
  Animals that live under human care are in captivity. Captivity can be used as a generalizing term to describe the keeping of either domesticated animals or wild animals. This may include for example farms, private homes and zoos...
  
   interactions.
• Affective (emotional) or relational bonds between humans and animals
• Human perceptions and beliefs in respect of other animals.
• How some animals fit into human societies.
• How these vary between cultures, and change over times.
• The study of animal domestication
  Domestication
  Domestication or taming is the process whereby a population of animals or plants, through a process of selection, becomes accustomed to human provision and control. In the Convention on Biological Diversity a domesticated species is defined as a 'species in which the evolutionary process has been...
  
  : how and why domestic animals evolved from wild species (paleoanthrozoology).
• Captive zoo animal bonds with keepers

See also

• Animal behavior
• Animal rights
  Animal rights
  Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
  
  
• Animal studies
  Animal studies
  Animal studies is a recently recognized field in which animals are studied in a variety of cross-disciplinary ways. Scholars from fields as diverse as: art history, anthropology, biology, film studies, geography, history, psychology, literary studies, museology, philosophy, and sociology; and from...
  
  
• Companion animal
• Domestication of the horse
  Domestication of the horse
  There are a number of hypotheses on many of the key issues regarding the domestication of the horse. Although horses appeared in Paleolithic cave art as early as 30,000 BCE, these were truly wild horses and were probably hunted for meat. How and when horses became domesticated is disputed...
  
  
• Origin of the domestic dog
  Origin of the domestic dog
  The origin of the domestic dog began with the domestication of the gray wolf several tens of thousands of years ago. Domesticated dogs provided early humans with a guard animal, a source of food, fur, and a beast of burden...
  
  
• Service animal
  Service animal
  Service animals are animals that have been trained to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities. Service animals may also be referred to as "assistance animals," "assist animals," "support animals," or "helper animals" depending on country....
  
  

Professional Bodies, Research Centers and Journals

• CIAS: Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society - a multi-disciplinary research center within the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
• IAHAIO: International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations - founded in 1990 to gather together national associations and related organizations interested in advancing the understanding and appreciation of the link between animals and humans.
• ISAZ: International Society for Anthrozoology - Publishes the journal Anthrozoös
• Society & Animals Forum (formerly PSYETA) - Publishes the journal Society & Animals
• Anthrozoology Research Group - based in Australia, founded by Dr Pauleen Bennett, affiliated with The Animal Welfare Science Centre collaborative

Papers published by the International Society for the Study of Anthrozoology

• Compatibility Stereotypes of People and Pets
• Behavior of Children with Learning Disabilities Interacting with a Therapy Dog
• Realistic Representations of Companion Animals in Comic Art in the USA
• Advertising Animal Protection
• Speciesism, Anthropocentrism, and Non-Western Cultures
• Whale Shark Tourism in Ningaloo Marine Park, Australia
• Judgments of Cruelty to Animals: Sex Differences and Effect of Awareness of Suffering
• Motivations and Characteristics of Volunteer Flying-Fox Rehabilitators in Australia
• Pets’ Roles in Parents’ Bereavement
• Recent Shifts Regarding the Relationship between People and Other Animals in Japanese Culture
• How Depressive Moods Affect the Behavior of Singly Living Persons Towards Their Cats
• Bonds of trust shown between Zookeepers and Captive Animals

Websites

• anthrozoology.org
• Anthrozoology.org - list of anthrozoological departments and journals worldwide
• Anthrozoology Research Group

Research links

• Herzog, Harold
• Sax, Boria
• Serpell, James
• Clinton R. Sanders
• Bennett, Pauleen