Animals and Us

The psychology of human-animal interactions.

Hal Herzog Ph.D.

Do You Suffer From Pet-Related Separation Anxiety?

Many people become anxious when they are separated from their pets. Two studies reveal insight into this important yet rarely-studied aspect of the human-animal bond.

What You Didn't Know About Having a Pandemic Pet

COVID lockdowns offer researchers a unique opportunity to assess the impact of pets on human mental health. The results of these studies are surprising.

Do Kids and Adults Value Animal Lives Differently?

New research sheds light on developmental changes in human thinking about the moral status of different species of animals.

Does Having a Pet Really Benefit Your Mental Health?

Do pets stave off loneliness, depression, and stress during COVID lockdowns? A new study provides some surprising answers.

Can Bereaved Pet Owners Suffer Prolonged Grief Disorder?

Why are severely bereaved pet owners omitted from the DSM-5 diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder?

Why Do People Think Cultured Meat Is Disgusting?

"Cultured meat" is produced from tissue cells rather than dead animals. Understanding why many meat-eaters and vegetarians find it disgusting will be key to its acceptance.

Why People Care More About Beautiful Animals Than Ugly Ones

Recent studies help explain why humans care more about attractive species than ugly ones.

The Puzzling Relationship Between Pet-Keeping and Happiness

According to the pet products industry, getting a pet will make you a happier person. is this claim backed up by research?

Can a Moral Machine Make Good Decisions about Animals?

Researchers recently developed a "thinking machine" designed to mimic human moral decision-making. Here's how it performed on ethical issues related to the treatment of animals.

Genes May Have a Big Influence on Vegetarianism

A new twin study suggests genes play a surprisingly significant role in the decision to become a vegetarian. Could this explain why most people find it hard to give up meat?

Do Anxious Owners Raise More Anxious Dogs?

Recent studies have found that anxious dogs owners tend to have dogs that are fearful, excitable, and nervous. But which way does the causal arrow point?

Are Pets as Good for Us as We Think They Are?

New studies call into question the idea that getting a pet will make you healthier and happier.

We Know Animals Have Personalities. Does That Make Them Persons?

That animals from bugs to chimps have individual personalities is now widely accepted. But the moral implications are unclear.

Women Dominate Research on the Human-Animal Bond

Women now comprise about 80% of investigators who study the human-animal bond. But the lack of male subjects in human-interaction research remains a big problem for researchers.

Do School Closures Cause a Surge In Dog Bites to Children?

In the wake of pandemic stay-at-home orders, the number of children who suffered dog bites sky-rocketed. The question is why?

How Much Money Is Your Pet Worth to You?

Lady Gaga recently offered $500,000 for the return of her two French bulldogs. Behavioral economics and the law offer different perspectives on the monetary value of pets.

Study Finds Therapy Dogs Have No Effect on Anxiety in Teens

A new high-quality study raises important questions about the effectiveness of therapy dogs to relieve anxiety in teens.

Why Do Children Prefer to Save Dogs Over People?

Children seem to be more likely than adults to value the lives of dogs and pigs over the lives of humans. Is this difference related to speciesism or immature thinking?

Does Becoming a Vegetarian or Vegan Affect Your Love Life?

A new study finds that becoming a vegetarian or vegan may change who you spend time with and restrict your pool of dating partners.

New Study Asks “Do Assistance Dogs Improve Mental Health?”

A crack research team carefully examined 27 studies on the impact of assistance dogs on the mental health of people with disabilities. What they found was a big surprise.

Why Do People Risk Their Own Health for Their Pets?

“If my husband and I both had COVID, we would not leave our pets.”

Do Pets Improve Mental Health During COVID Lockdowns?

The surprising results of a new study on the impact of pets on psychological problems associated with pandemic lockdowns.

Is America Really Raining Cats and Dogs?

A pet industry insider argues that America needs at least 140 million additional dogs and cats. But some demographic forces point in the other direction.

Did Eating Human Poop Play a Role in the Evolution of Dogs?

"Interspecific coprophagia Involving human excrement" may have played an important role in the evolution of dogs from wolves.

The Problem of Loving Pets With Behavior Issues

A new study examines the "caretaker burden" associated with loving and living with dogs and cats who have serious behavior problems.

Why Has the “Pet Effect” Meme Spread So Rapidly?

An analysis of press coverage of "the pet effect" partially explains the mismatch between our beliefs about the impact of dogs and cats on human health and what the science says.

Can Pets Really Help Fight America's Obesity Epidemic?

Do pets really save Americans nearly a billion dollars every year in obesity-related health care costs?

How Many People Who Die By Suicide First Kill Their Pets?

Incidents in which pets are killed by suicidal owners are probably going to increase dramatically.

Can Pets Relieve Loneliness In the Age of Coronavirus?

People are flocking to animal shelters to adopt and foster dogs and cats. Here's what the science says about the connection between pets and loneliness.

Viruses of the Mind: The Great Irish Setter Epidemic of 1963

Research on fads for dog breeds reveals surprising similarities between the spread of viral infections and the spread of rapid changes in cultural preferences.

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