Tyler (T.J.) Kasperbauer gained his PhD in Philosophy from Texas A&M University where he wrote a dissertation on moral psychology and animal ethics.
He is currently completing post-doctoral research at the University of Copenhagen, working with the well-known Peter Sandøe.
T.J.’s main areas of research are applied animal and environmental ethics, moral psychology, and philosophy of psychology.
In this episode, we explore his interesting research into the area of disgusting animals and their traits, why they disgust us, why they should, and what it means for people’s relationships with them.
Dog walking benefits with Dr Carri Westgarth Dr Hayley Christian
Did you know scientists are studying the ways that you walk your dog?
What motivates you, how long you exercise for, what features (like footpaths and dog parks) promote human activity – all these questions and more, are being studied by researchers, Hayley Christian and Carri Westgarth.
Hayley’s background in human health teamed with Carri’s expertise in canine behaviour and welfare have created a research team exploring the human, dog and environmental factors that best promote active and healthy communities.
Barbara Natterson-Horowitz Zoobiquity connecting the health of humans and animals
Have we forgotten that people are animals too?
Barbara Natterson-Horowitz is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in the United States.
Barbara Natterson-Horowitz
In addition to patient care, she is actively involved with medical education and research.
Kathryn Bowers is a Fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C and an experienced journalist, editor, writer, producer and teacher of writing at UCLA.
In this episode we talk about how they entered this field of one health, and what they researched to connect the physical and mental health of humans and animals.
Most of us know that playing with dogs and horses can be fun, but have you ever considered how important animal-assisted play might be in psychological therapy for people?
Dr. Risë VanFleet is the Founder of the Family Enhancement & Play Therapy Center in the United States, an organisation specialising in the training and supervision of child, family, and play therapy professionals, as well as the provision of mental health services for children and families.
She is a psychologist and author of several books, who focuses on strengthening family relationships through play, and has specialties in chronic medical illness, disaster mental health, child and family trauma and attachment interventions using play therapy, filial therapy, and the training and involvement of animals in assisted play therapy.
It’s this area of using animals, particularly dogs and horses, in play as a mode of therapy for people that we learn about with Risë in this episode.
Dr. Pauleen Bennett is Director of Regional Operations in the School of Psychological Science at La Trobe University.
Pauleen combines her academic work at La Trobe with a range of community activities designed to improve human-companion animal relationships.
She leads a highly productive team of researchers at the Anthrozoology Research Group and is director and chair of the Australian Anthrozoology Research Foundation, a non-profit foundation set up to raise money to support students investigating the potential benefits for human health of engaging with companion animals.
Pauleen has adjunct appointments at Monash University and The Ohio State University (USA) and enjoys spending her free time hanging out on her farm with her dogs, horses and goats.
In this episode (#19) we talk to Pauleen about the exciting but relatively new field of positive psychology.
Bennett, P.C. (2010). People, pets and positive psychology (transcribed from Radio Australia). Second Australian Positive Psychology and Well-Being Conference, February 12-13, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia.
Dr Megan Mueller is a developmental psychologist working in the Cummings School of veterinary medicine at Tufts University (USA).
Megan’s own passion for animals led her to scientifically examine the roles they play in human health and positive development for children, families and communities.
In this episode of Human Animal Science, we speak to Megan about her recent research looking at human animal interaction and positive youth development.
