2024-03-16 10:55:27
Cuddling and playing with dogs has positive effects on the child’s well-being. Also on attention and stress levels, as scientists have researched.
Dog owners have long known that dogs can make people happy. But animals can also help us feel less stress, concentrate better and be more creative. This is shown by a current study by Konkuk University in Seoul (South Korea).
The researchers used electroencephalography (EEG) to examine the subjects’ brain activity while interacting with a small poodle and found that different interactions also had different effects. A total of eight activities were tested, including playing with a toy, crawling, walking, giving treats, and grooming.
Crawling and playing for the brain, hugging for the mood
When the test subjects played with the dog, groomed its fur or scratched it, this led to stronger signals in the beta wave range, which indicates increased concentration without stress, the researchers write in the scientific journal PLOS One.
- When playing with the dog, participants were both more relaxed and more focused.
- Walking also caused relaxation, as shown by the values measured in the alpha spectrum, according to the scientists.
- According to their analysis, feeding, scratching and hugging the dog had a positive effect on the overall mood.
The study shows that certain activities with a dog trigger stronger brain activity and can thus ensure greater relaxation, emotional stability, attention, concentration and creativity, write researchers Onyoo Yoo, YuTong Wu, Jin Soo Han and Sin-Ae Park in their abstract . The scientists work in the Department of Bio and Healing Convergence at Konkuk University.