Familiar Environment Research Articles

Unveiling the Professional Identity of University Educators: A Qualitative Study

The formation of a university professor's identity is a complex process, which begins with academic training and evolves through professional practice. This study explores the experiences that shape the identity of university teachers, focusing on personal, social and professional perspectives. Through the qualitative approach, using in-depth interviews with 10 participants with an average age of 50 years, the research revealed significant factors. It found a correlation between female gender and preference for teaching careers, as well as the substantial influence of parental guidance on career choice, driven by considerations of economic stability and familiar work environments. In terms of personal identity, the testimonies underscored the influential role of parental expectations in career decision making. Social identity was strongly influenced by family prestige and the broader social context. On the professional level, the research revealed that years of positive teaching experience contribute to the reinforcement of one's professional identity. However, it also highlighted the fluid nature of a university professor's teaching identity, subject to the fluctuations of positive and negative experiences encountered in daily practice. While these experiences can reinforce a sense of vocation and professional development, the lack of a cohesive teaching identity poses risks to the quality of educational services provided to students. Received: 7 September 2023 / Accepted: 23 April 2024 / Published: 5 May 2024

The smart home, a true home? How new technologies disrupt the experience of home for older persons

AbstractSmart home technologies (SHTs) can support older persons to age in place. However, adoption of SHTs remains low among this population. A reason for this is that they are not accustomed to having a home that is technologically enhanced. In this article, we focus on the older persons’ lived experience of “home” and show how SHTs potentially disrupt it. In consulting the currently available literature, both theoretical and empirical, we propose and use the concept of somatic capability assessment (SCA) in the discussion surrounding the design of SHTs for older persons. First, we propose SCA as a concept to grasp how humans take decisions while relying on their physical body, undisturbed by suggestions from technologies. Furthermore, we show that SCA functions best in a familiar and private environment—the home. SHTs have the potential to make the home seem unfamiliar and exposed, precisely through added data and the resulting suggestions, as we show through related empirical studies. Thus, SHTs hold an increased disruptive potential for older persons at home. By introducing SCA into the discussion of SHTs for older persons, and thus paying attention on how SHTs potentially disrupt the experience of home, further advances the ethical discussion on the adequate use and design of technologies in daily life, especially for the group of older persons. Our analysis offers important insights for the design and implementation processes of SHTs for older persons.

Paradoxical boosting of weak and strong spatial memories by hippocampal dopamine uncaging.

The ability to remember changes in the surroundings is fundamental for daily life. It has been proposed that novel events producing dopamine release in the hippocampal CA1 region could modulate spatial memory formation. However, the role of hippocampal dopamine increase on weak or strong spatial memories remains unclear. We show that male mice exploring two objects located in a familiar environment for 5 minutes created a short-term memory (weak) that cannot be retrieved one day later, whereas 10 minutes exploration created a long-term memory (strong) that can be retrieved one day later. Remarkably, hippocampal dopamine elevation during the encoding of weak object location memories (OLMs) allowed their retrieval one day later but dopamine elevation during the encoding of strong OLMs promoted the preference for a familiar object location over a novel object location after 24 hours. Moreover, dopamine uncaging after the encoding of OLMs did not have effect on weak memories whereas on strong memories diminished the exploration of the novel object location. Additionally, hippocampal dopamine elevation during the retrieval of OLMs did not allow the recovery of weak memories and did not affect the retrieval of strong memory traces. Finally, dopamine elevation increased hippocampal theta oscillations, indicating that dopamine promotes the recurrent activation of specific groups of neurons. Our experiments demonstrate that hippocampal dopaminergic modulation during the encoding of OLMs depends on memory strength indicating that hyperdopaminergic levels that enhance weak experiences could compromise the normal storage of strong memories.Significance statement Increased levels of dopamine have been related to cognitive enhancement. Hippocampal dopamine elevation caused by novelty exposure has been proposed as a strategy to enhance memory based on the observation that surprising events create flashbulb memories that are remembered for long time. However, hyperdopaminergic levels could also underlie maladaptive memories, such as non-desired preservation of traumatic experiences. Our experiments show that dopamine elevation in the dorsal hippocampus during the encoding of spatial memories has paradoxical effects, while the enhancement of weak memories allows their retrieval, the dopaminergic modulation of strong memories limits the ability to modify preexisting spatial memories by changes in the environment. We conclude that cognitive enhancement through dopamine boosting must consider diverse aspects of memory formation.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Soldiers Returning from Vietnam: A Survey on the Psychological Disorder of Veterans

The present research aims to analyze and provide information about a very important disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Then, what specifically refers to the existence of PTSD and soldiers returning from the Vietnam War who are exposed to the severely traumatic event that is combat and all that it brings with it. This empathy has led them to anxiety, overstimulation, depression and other such traumatic intense emotions. First, the evidence-based scientific term PTSD is analyzed in terms of etiology, complexes, factors and treatment. It then refers to and gives an in-depth look at the Vietnam War and how it developed the phenomena of post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, more information about PTSD is given. Aim: The aim of this dissertation is to analyze and present the topic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder of the Vietnam Veterans and the way they were treated with their homecoming in the United States of America through a literature review. More specifically, the post-traumatic stress disorder due to psycho-trauma and the psychosocial effects are analyzed. Purpose: The main goal of this dissertation is the comprehensive analysis of this particular disorder and the investigation of this specific war era. Method and materials: The methodology included a collection of information on the subject from articles and books of the last decade in the Pubmed database and the Hellenic Academic Libraries Association (HEAL-Link). In conclusion, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a more common phenomenon than the public believes and is one of the most difficult types of disorder. People who carry it and suffer daily, need help both from the familiar family environment and from the social environment. Therefore, it is extremely important to know the disorder and to be fully understood by experts in dealing with it, but also by people in the social environment around us, as their attitude towards the phenomenon is almost catalytic.

Explore the Impact of Homesickness, Depression, and Consciousness on Hosteled Students' Academic Procrastination

Background: Homesickness, an emotional state triggered by separation from familiar environments, has been identified as a significant factor affecting mental health and academic performance in students, particularly those living in hostels. Existing literature links homesickness with increased feelings of anxiety and depression, which in turn may contribute to academic procrastination. Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationships among homesickness, depression, conscientiousness, and academic procrastination in hosteled students, with an emphasis on understanding how these factors interact to influence academic outcomes. Methods: A correlational research design was employed to assess the impact of homesickness, depression, and conscientiousness on academic procrastination among 150 hosteled students. Standardized tools including the Yearning in Situations of Loss scale (YSL), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), Big Five Inventory (BFI), and Academic Procrastination Scale (APS) were utilized for data collection. Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analyses were conducted using SPSS version 25 to analyze the data. Results: Homesickness was significantly correlated with anxiety (r=.373, p<.01) and stress (r=.33, p<.01). Conscientiousness showed a positive correlation with gender (r=.204, p<.05) and was associated with higher levels of academic procrastination (r=.28, p<.01). Regression analysis revealed that homesickness did not significantly predict academic procrastination (β =-.089, p=ns). Additionally, depression was identified as a mediator in the relationship between homesickness and academic procrastination, although the indirect effects were minimal. Conclusion: The study highlights the complex interplay between homesickness, depression, and conscientiousness in influencing academic procrastination among hosteled students. It underscores the need for targeted interventions to address these psychological factors, potentially enhancing academic performance and well-being in this population.

Digital Technologies to Support Learning

The diversity of technologies and tools in the contemporary digital world is ever rising. They enable teachers to plan and develop their own learning materials with ease - from web pages, wikis and blogs to photos and videos. This becomes the challenge of developing ways in which technology can support learners of this course to effectively create their own learning contexts. The article analyzes modern researches in some theories of learning, with the aim of seeking an answer to the question: how teachers can support the learning of students through teaching materials. As a result, a system of science-based recommendations for teachers in the context of digital resource design to use in teaching is proposed. Analysis of empirical research results shows that a template for a quality distance learning e-course that creates a familiar learning environment is more effective for learning than courses without a template.

Recruitment of hippocampal and thalamic pathways to the central amygdala in the control of feeding behavior under novelty.

It is adaptive to restrict eating under uncertainty, such as during habituation to novel foods and unfamiliar environments. However, sustained restrictive eating can become maladaptive. Currently, the neural substrates of restrictive eating are poorly understood. Using a model of feeding avoidance under novelty, our recent study identified forebrain activation patterns and found evidence that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) is a core integrating node. The current study analyzed the activity of CEA inputs in male and female rats to determine if specific pathways are recruited during feeding under novelty. Recruitment of direct inputs from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), the infralimbic cortex (ILA), the agranular insular cortex (AI), the hippocampal ventral field CA1, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminals (BST) was assessed with combined retrograde tract tracing and Fos induction analysis. The study found that during consumption of a novel food in a novel environment, larger number of neurons within the PVTp and the CA1 that send monosynaptic inputs to the CEA were recruited compared to controls that consumed familiar food in a familiar environment. The ILA, AI, and BST inputs to the CEA were similarly recruited across conditions. There were no sex differences in activation of any of the pathways analyzed. These results suggest that the PVTp-CEA and CA1-CEA pathways underlie feeding inhibition during novelty and could be potential sites of malfunction in excessive food avoidance.

Familiar versus unfamiliar: Revealing the complexity of sociability in pigs

Social behaviours are fundamental to gregarious animals and a dynamic force driving social structures, conflicts and cooperation. As a personality trait, sociability is defined as the individual reaction to the presence or absence of conspecifics and the motivation to associate with them. Research on sociability has been scarce compared to other personality traits, thus limiting our understanding of individual social behaviours which could potentially reflect it. To tackle this issue, we used a comprehensive approach, combining individual testing and Social Network Analysis. We designed a Novel Peer Test (NPT) to investigate sociability towards an unfamiliar conspecific. We conducted the NPT on 80 male domestic pigs at 6 weeks of age divided into 5 replicated groups over time. Each pig was confronted with an unfamiliar conspecific, separated by a fence in a familiar environment. To complement the NPT, we performed established personality tests, including an Open Field Test, Novel Object Test, Human Approach Test. All tests were repeated after two weeks. Pigs’ social interactions in the home pen were recorded and used for Social Network Analysis, and the associated weighted degree and betweenness centrality were calculated. Through Principal Component Analysis, we found that the NPT highlighted pigs’ motivation to interact with an unfamiliar conspecific, hence an aspect of sociability, and independently from novelty seeking. Additionally, the NPT may be a suitable personality test given that the behavioural profiles of the pigs were consistent over time. Pigs’ network positions in the home pen for non-agonistic interactions did not predict behaviours in the NPT. Specifically, there were no links between nosing and play during the NPT and nosing and play in the home pen. This may be due to the different contexts, as the social interactions occurred dyadically with an unfamiliar conspecific during the NPT while the social networks are based on unrestrained social interactions with a group of familiar pen-mates. In contrast, walking close to the fence separating the focal and novel pig during the NPT was predicted by agonistic interactions in the home pen. This behaviour is ambiguous to interpret since it additionally loaded on the extracted sociability trait, thus, it could be driven by sociability and/or aggression. Understanding pigs’ sociability will have implications for their welfare, highlighting the need for an adequate social environment to properly express different levels of sociability.

Post-fall outcomes of aged care residents that did not transfer to hospital following referral to a specialised hospital outreach service: A retrospective cohort study

BackgroundHospital outreach services aim to reduce the number of avoidable emergency department (ED) transfers of aged care residents and improve healthcare outcomes. While there are known benefits of such services, including avoiding the distress and discomfort that comes with the care transition, little is known about the outcomes of older people in residential aged care facilities who are referred to an outreach service and do not transfer to hospital after a fall. AimThe aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of residents who experienced a fall in an aged care facility and were referred to a hospital outreach service, and to report the health outcomes of those who did not transfer to hospital. MethodsA retrospective cohort study of health administrative data collected from 1st January 2019 to 31st May 2022 was undertaken. Clinical chart audits were conducted of aged care residents who avoided attending an ED following a fall but subsequently, within 30 days, died or presented to hospital. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis. FindingsMost residents who avoided the ED post fall (n = 370, 73%), did not present to hospital or die within 30 days. Of the cohort who presented to hospital within 30 days, the reasons included new symptoms, pain or medical imaging requirement. Of the residents who died (n = 42, 8%), most did not attend an ED within 30 days of the fall. DiscussionMost residents who were recommended not to transfer to an ED post fall by the hospital outreach service did not die or require transfer to hospital within 30 days. The residents who died had incurable progressive illness. Most of them who died were cared for in the aged care facility allowing the resident to die in a familiar environment being cared for by staff known to them. ConclusionThe results suggest that the hospital outreach service in this study was effective in most cases in supporting residents to avoid transfer to an ED post fall. Avoiding ED is not always appropriate.

Impact of outdoor place-based learning on elementary school students’ ability to make unsolicited observations about living organisms over time

ABSTRACT Our research objective was to investigate whether a place-based educational intervention for elementary school students leads to a better ability to make unsolicited observations about living organisms. We tested the following prediction: Elementary school students who learn about living organisms outdoors in a familiar environment will be able to make more unsolicited observations about living organisms one week after the end of the intervention compared to those two months after the intervention ends. Our study was conducted in the province of Québec, Canada, which resulted in 116 students experiencing the same educational intervention from home. Based on individual telephone interviews, we compared elementary school students’ ability to make unsolicited observations about living organisms one week (Group A, n = 58) and two months (Group B, n = 58) after a place-based educational intervention in their home environment. We developed three emergent categories to analyse students’ place-based unsolicited observations about living organisms. We found that elementary school students who learned about living organisms in their home environment made more unsolicited observations about living organisms leading to factual descriptions two months after the end of the learning experience than those who were interviewed one week after the intervention.

Comparison of the exploratory behaviour of wild and laboratory mouse species

In this study, we compared the exploratory behaviour of mound-building mice (Mus spicilegus) and house mice (Mus musculus) with domesticated laboratory mouse strains (BALB/c and C57BL/6). The animals spent 15 minutes in the furnished test box before the exit to the outside world became free. During the 5-minute test, it was noted whether the animal left the familiar environment; if it did, it was recorded in how many seconds. Based on our results, the wild mouse species were more likely to leave the familiar mouse box and explore the outside environment earlier than the laboratory mice. We also found a difference within the wild mouse species, the mound-building mouse being the one that explored the external environment to a greater extent and faster. The effect of domestication manifests in the fact that laboratory mouse strains are less likely to leave their familiar environment and are significantly less active than their wild ancestors.

Day Care Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Review

Gallstones, small solid formations within the gallbladder (GB), often necessitate intervention when symptomatic. The conventional approach involves their removal through a minimally invasive laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Traditionally, patients undergo overnight observation post-surgery to detect potential complications. However, this practice results in unnecessary extended hospital stays, leading to delays in resuming daily activities, heightened risks of nosocomial infections and morbidity, increased financial burden, and a strain on hospital resources. In contrast to this, many developed nations have embraced a more efficient model where carefully selected patients can be discharged on the same day as the operation, eliminating the need for overnight admission. Recognizing the advantages of a shorter duration of surgery, a brief postoperative period, and a reduced incidence of complications, the concept of Daycare Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (DCLC) has gained prominence. Beyond the medical benefits, patients benefit from early discharge, recovery in a familiar home environment with personalized care, minimal disruption to personal life, and decreased overall costs. Despite over a decade of global research confirming the feasibility and safety of DCLC, this approach has not been widely adopted in India. This review emphasizes the necessity for its integration into routine practice in developing countries like India. Embracing DCLC can significantly alleviate the burden on healthcare resources, enhance patient experience, and contribute to more efficient healthcare delivery.

Impaired Response to Mismatch Novelty in the Li2+-Pilocarpine Rat Model of TLE: Correlation with Hippocampal Monoaminergic Inputs.

Novelty detection, crucial to episodic memory formation, is impaired in epileptic patients with mesial temporal lobe resection. Mismatch novelty detection, that activates the hippocampal CA1 area in humans and is vital for memory reformulation and reconsolidation, is also impaired in patients with hippocampal lesions. In this work, we investigated the response to mismatch novelty, as occurs with the new location of known objects in a familiar environment, in the Li2+-pilocarpine rat model of TLE and its correlation with hippocampal monoaminergic markers. Animals showing spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRSs) for at least 4 weeks at the time of behavioural testing showed impaired spatial learning in the radial arm maze, as described. Concurrently, SRS rats displayed impaired exploratory responses to mismatch novelty, yet novel object recognition was not significantly affected in SRS rats. While the levels of serotonin and dopamine transporters were mildly decreased in hippocampal membranes from SRS rats, the levels on the norepinephrine transporter, tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine-β-hydroxylase were enhanced, hinting for an augmentation, rather than an impairment in noradrenergic function in SRS animals. Altogether, this reveals that mismatch novelty detection is particularly affected by hippocampal damage associated to the Li2+-pilocarpine model of epilepsy 4-8 weeks after the onset of SRSs and suggests that deficits in mismatch novelty detection may substantially contribute to cognitive impairment in MTLE. As such, behavioural tasks based on these aspects of mismatch novelty may prove useful in the development of cognitive therapy strategies aiming to rescue cognitive deficits observed in epilepsy.

Study of Spatial Disorientation and Wayfinding Challenges in Buildings Using Axial Analysis: A Case of Hospital Buildings in Nigeria

All living creatures rely on spatial orientation to navigate through familiar environments. For humans, everyday activities depend on spatial orientation for navigating routes from outside locations to final destinations. The study suggests that the larger buildings get, the more the challenges of spatial orientation for their users. Likewise, building forms and configurations impact significantly on the course of wayfinding. In the case of hospitals, spatial configuration has been identified as significant in influencing human movements, performances of users and efficiency of services. This paper analyses the layout configurations of selected large hospital buildings in Nigeria using axial lines and relates the analysis with spatial orientation and wayfinding process. The aim of the study was to identify the extent of the impact of building layout configuration on spatial orientation and wayfinding process. The three large-sized hospitals selected for the study presented different scenarios which identified simplicities and complexities of building layout configurations as significant in the process of wayfinding. A comparative summary of the three hospitals in the study suggests that the less complex hospital layout presented the least spatial disorientation effect. This is mostly due to the linear sightlines utilized in the layout configuration design with fewer turns that enable visual connectivity to destination points thus indicating lesser challenges for wayfinding.

‘We Are Managing’: Challenges and Coping Strategies of Family Caregivers in a Short Term Hospitalization in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Caring for a sick relative is not without challenges. Family members who leave their homes to care for a sick relative in an unfamiliar hospital environment encounter more challenges than those who provide care in their familiar home environment. This hospital ethnography was carried out in one of the secondary hospitals in Ghana. Thirty-two caregivers were sampled using the purposive sampling technique. Data was collected through the semi structured interview guide. Using the qualitative exploratory case study, the study revealed that the challenges facing family caregivers are multidimensional. These challenges are classified into three major groups: institutional, environmental, and financial. In response to these challenges, caregivers developed different strategies such as denying themselves some pleasures of life, developing faith in God through prayers and giving the identification card given them by the hospital authority to other relatives who are not recognised by the health professionals as caregivers.

Determination of the Convergence of Intra-Laboratory Measurements of Dust Content on a Construction Site

Introduction. Intra-laboratory comparison tests play an important role in ensuring the quality and reliability of research outcomes in laboratories. These tests allow researchers to evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of the methods they use in their work, as well as to identify potential sources of error and inconsistency. The results of these tests are shared with experts to confirm competence within the accreditation. Typically, comparison tests are carried out in laboratory conditions in a familiar and calm environment for the testers. However, when laboratories conduct research as part of a special assessment of working conditions (SAWC) they are required to conduct on-site comparisons at real-world facilities, where customers may unwittingly disrupt the process and directly affecting the quality of the measurements. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of on-site intra-laboratory comparison tests using the example of determining the dust content in a bricklayer's work environment on a construction site, and to determine the minimum number of measurements necessary and sufficient for this purpose.Materials and Methods. To determine the dustiness of the bricklayer's workplace, a weighing method was used. This involved collecting dust on filters and then weighing them to determine the concentration. The quality assessment of intra-laboratory tests was conducted in accordance with GOST R ISO 5725-1-2002 "Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results. Part 1. General principles and definitions".Results. At the bricklayer's workplace, a 1.6-fold excess of the one-time maximum permissible dust concentration was detected. The average dust concentration at the workplace under study was: Kp2 = 9.57 ± 0.81 mg/m3, the convergence of the results obtained was r = 8.68 %, the relative error δ = 8.50 %. It was revealed that the maximum allowable difference between the results of the two tests was 0.84 mg/m3. The difference in direct measurements of the mass of the two samples should be no more than 0.1 mg.Discussion and Conclusion. The results obtained demonstrated the possibility of conducting a minimum number of measurements that, under reproducible conditions, are considered satisfactory and could be provided to experts for confirming the competence of the laboratory. As part of a special assessment of working conditions, employees of the object under study are recommended to use personal respiratory protection equipment that offers protection against highly dispersed dust particles.

Landmarks, beacons, or panoramic views: What do pigeons attend to for guidance in familiar environments?

Birds and social insects represent excellent systems for understanding visually guided navigation. Both animal groups use surrounding visual cues for homing and foraging. Ants extract sufficient spatial information from panoramic views, which naturally embed all near and far spatial information, for successful homing. Although egocentric panoramic views allow for parsimonious explanations of navigational behaviors, this potential source of spatial information has been mostly neglected during studies of vertebrates. Here we investigate how distinct landmarks, a beacon, and panoramic views influence the reorientation behavior in pigeons (Columba livia). Pigeons were trained to search for a location characterized by a beacon and several distinct landmarks. Transformation tests manipulated aspects of the landmark configuration, allowing for a dissociation among navigational strategies. Quantitative image and path analyses provided support that the panoramic view was used by the pigeons. Although the results from some individuals support the use of beaconing, overall the pigeons relied predominantly on the panoramic view when spatial cues provided conflicting information regarding the goal location. Reorientation based on vector and bearing information derived from distinct landmarks as well as environmental geometry failed to account fully for the results. Thus, the results of our study support that pigeons can use panoramic views for reorientation in familiar environments. Given that the current model for landmark use by pigeons posits the use of different vectors from an object, a global panorama-matching strategy suggests a fundamental change in the theory of how pigeons use surrounding visual cues for localization.

Design and Construction of a Prototype of an Assisting Device for Arm Exercise

A new portable arm exercise device is presented as a laboratory prototype to assist arm movements in rehabilitation therapies and movement exercises. Unlike the devices currently used, a portable design is proposed, with easy assembly and operational characteristics that enable it to be used by users in the home and in a familiar environment. Sensors are also provided on the rotating crank to validate and monitor the efficiency of the arm exercise. A low-cost prototype is assembled using off-the-shelf components and 3D-printed parts. Design issues are discussed and elaborated on to build a prototype for future laboratory testing using fairly simple experimental methodology. Preliminary testing by one author shows good feasibility of the device. The findings from the experimental results can be summarized as effective smooth-monitored cyclic motion in the crank rotation with limited values for acceleration less than 1 g and for acting user forces less than 22 N. The values detected are significantly lower in the left hand, with the testing subject being right-handed and healthy, without injury to her upper limbs.

Reported Agonistic Behaviours in Domestic Horses Cluster According to Context.

Agonistic behaviours are often directed at other animals for self-defence or to increase distance from valued resources, such as food. Examples include aggression and counter-predator behaviours. Contemporary diets may boost the value of food as a resource and create unanticipated associations with the humans who deliver it. At the same time the domestic horse is asked to carry the weight of riders and perform manoeuvres that, ethologically, are out-of-context and may be associated with instances of pain, confusion, or fear. Agonistic responses can endanger personnel and conspecifics. They are traditionally grouped along with so-called vices as being undesirable and worthy of punishment; a response that can often make horses more dangerous. The current study used data from the validated online Equine Behavioural and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) to explore the agonistic behaviours (as reported by the owners) of 2734 horses. With a focus on ridden horses, the behaviours of interest in the current study ranged from biting and bite threats and kicking and kick threats to tail swishing as an accompaniment to signs of escalating irritation when horses are approached, prepared for ridden work, ridden, and hosed down (e.g., after work). Analysis of the responses according to the context in which they arise included a dendrographic analysis that identified five clusters of agonistic behaviours among certain groups of horses and a principal component analysis that revealed six components, strongly related to the five clusters. Taken together, these results highlight the prospect that the motivation to show these responses differs with context. The clusters with common characteristics were those observed in the context of: locomotion under saddle; saddling; reactions in a familiar environment, inter-specific threats, and intra-specific threats. These findings highlight the potential roles of fear and pain in such unwelcome responses and challenge the simplistic view that the problems lie with the nature of the horses themselves rather than historic or current management practices. Improved understanding of agonistic responses in horses will reduce the inclination of owners to label horses that show such context-specific responses as being generally aggressive.

Gaze in cats (Felis catus) and dogs (Canis lupus familiaris).

Within human-animal dyadic interactions, dog-human gaze has been identified as the crux of several important visual behaviors, such as looking back, gaze-following, and participation in an oxytocin feedback loop. It has been posited that this gaze behavior may have been motivated and sustained by cooperative relationships between dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and humans (e.g., hunting, service roles), however, to investigate why gaze evolved, a comparison to a domesticated species that lacks a protracted history of cooperative companionship is needed: the domestic cat (Felis catus). In this study, we compare the gaze duration to owners of cats and dogs in a community science setting. We replicated previous gaze studies with dogs, wolves (Nagasawa et al., 2015), and dingoes (Johnston et al., 2017), requesting owners to sit with their pets for 5 min and interact as they normally would. Cats and dogs gazed at their owners for similar durations, but durations of petting and physical contact were significantly lower with cats. Gaze correlated significantly with vocalizations in dogs; however, no other correlations were significant. Dogs gazed less in our community science setting than dogs tested previously in-lab (Nagasawa et al., 2015). Ultimately, cats resemble dogs in their general gaze patterns, but not in most interactions with their owner. Future research should aim to include feral cats or wild cat species to shed light on gaze behavior development in the genus, while more community science work can identify the behaviors that shift for dogs between familiar and unfamiliar environments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).