Bremen. Almost everyone has experienced first-hand that looking out into the vastness of nature is relaxing. The sight of dogs also puts a smile on many people's faces. In fact, it also reduces physical and mental stress levels – even when the animals are only seen in videos. This was shown by a study from Canada that compared whether dog videos or nature films of fields, forests and meadows provide more relaxation.
Animals are often amazingly good co-therapists. This is confirmed by many studies dealing with questions surrounding animal-assisted intervention. However, direct animal contact is not always possible – sometimes allergies are involved or dogs are simply not allowed in the respective environment. So are there alternatives with similarly positive effects?
Videos as a relaxation factor
Three psychologists from Toronto Metropolitan University looked at videos: films with dogs, nature footage and a control loop. The question was to what extent dog and nature footage had an effect on the perception of stress and what differences the specific video content might make.
Dr. Natalie Ein, Dr. Maureen J. Reed and Dr. Kristin Vickert asked 103 people to complete certain tasks under stress. Among them were 78 women and 25 men. The subjects were asked to watch one of five videos: a dog playing agilely, a dog lying quietly, a wild waterfall in the forest, a shallow stream in the countryside and, as a control, just a black screen. Which video which person saw was decided randomly.
During this time, physical reactions such as heart rate and blood pressure, which would increase with stress and anxiety, were measured. The participants were also asked about their personal feelings. What pressure or joy did they experience? What were their possible feelings of anxiety? And how relaxed were they?
Dogs against stage fright
The results published in the journal “Anthrozoös” show that nature and animal videos affect personal feelings. Unlike the control video, they apparently trigger small moments of happiness, promote a positive inner attitude and counteract possible fears. Dog videos apparently have the greatest effect – regardless of whether they are of lively or dozing animals.